
I 




TMF f. GUTEKUNSr CO. PHINT. 



SPIRITUALISM 



EXAMINED AND 




IT BEING FOUND CONTRARY TO 

SCRIPTURE, KNOWN FACTS AND COMMON SENSE: 

Its Phenomena Accounted for, while all its Claims 
for Disembodied Spirits are Disproved. 

A DISCUSSION OF ITS MORAL CLAIMS, SHOWING THAT THEY HAVE NOT 
BEEN VERIFIED BY RESULTS ATTAINED IN THE PRESENT CON- 
DITION OF MANKIND, AS PROVED BY STATISTICS AND 
KNOWN FACTS. SOME THEORIES OFTEN RE- 
VIEWED BY SPIRITUALISM ARE 
BRIEFLY EXAMINED AND 
ANSWERED 

JOHN H. DADMUN, 

Minister of the Gospel. 

Thirty-five years of Investigation, including Eight of Mediumship, failed to 
make the Author a Spiritualist. If you read this work carefully, you may discover 
the True Position. 

Published by the Author. 

P. O. BOX 1241, 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 

1893. £ ^ 

$1.50 per Copy, Post-paid. 

/ 






Entered, 

According to Act of Congress, 

In the year 1889, 

By 

John H. Dadmun, 

In the Office of the Librarian 

Of Congress, at 

Washington. 



DEDICATION. 
To 
the great number of persons 
who have seen " Spiritual " Phenomena, and 
having studied them candidly are still in doubt con- 
cerning their directing power, operation, object and end ; 

AND THE 

far greater number who have never seen them, but have 

been told that they are all " human trickery," 

or " humbug," this work is respectfully 

and hopefully dedicated 

BY 

The Author. 

(3) 



NOTE TO THE READER. 



Inasmuch as no Church or Denomination is once mentioned 
in this work, the author greatly desires that his readers — whether 
they shall studiously and candidly examine it at length, or 
hastily scan its pages — will begin with the title page and peruse 
its points and topics in their order, and thus gain the advan- 
tage of keeping the connections, which is necessary to make the 
subject matter interesting and comprehensive. 

Also, that they may, after having done so, send him (see 

address on the title page) their real opinions of the work, whether 

they be words of approval, or of severe criticism, according as 

they shall view it. It will be thankfully received by 

The Author. 
(4) 



PREFACE. 



The author puts forth this volume in strong hope 
that it will carry light to many who " sit in dark- 
ness " on this great subject — great, because it concerns 
all accountable beings; and who, if accountable, are 
responsible; and being responsible, are in need of all 
information pertaining to it, since it confronts us on 
every hand. Indeed, Spiritualism is found in nearly 
every land on the globe. 

And while this important and valuable compendium 
of evidence against the theory in question is due to our 
brother man, it is our privilege to remark that it is 
the more so because so little which admits facts and 
accounts for them is written upon it. As a result, 
many are misled, while many others are left in doubt. 
To help this class of readers will be our constant aim 
and effort. 

This book is not offered as a religious work, as such, 
yet, in refuting Spiritualism and looking for success, 
we may expect to meet and notice such Bible subjects 
as are quoted or reviewed by its believers and teachers, 
which, of course, will be the more important ones. 
Neither is it a book of our opinions, for such evidence, (?) 
if suggestive, could not be highly instructive ; albeit 
our experience, observation and long-continued study 
of the subject might claim a fair share of notice, should 

5 



6 PREFACE. 

we appropriate a remark made by Rev. Alfred Graham, 
D. D., in discourse : "A man's opinion is valuable in 
proportion to his information on the subject in ques- 
tion." Nevertheless, those having had the least expe- 
rience usually give their opinions first and loudest ! 

The real value of a work like this to a candid reader 
consists in the actual possession of two features, or 
characteristics, viz. : information, and accuracy in ex- 
pression. Much time has been consumed upon the 
last-named feature alone, largely because of the numer- 
ous quotations of statistics and other matter from 
books and periodicals, thus making it valuable as a 
reference. 

Again, this feature is demanded by the fact that a 
hasty, mere-assertion kind of an answer does not sat- 
isfy candid minds of fair intelligence, nor the " Don't 
know " of scientists ; neither the " Humbug " cry of 
learned divines, when the persons so informed have 
actually seen phenomena which positively had no " hu- 
man trickery' in them ! For any one to deny it in these 
days is but to show ignorance or design in the matter. 
Hence, the importance of disposing of the main ques- 
tion in such a manner as not to leave a reasonable 
doubt is at once apparent. We think our readers may 
do this if they are candid enough to admit facts and 
entertain logical deductions. 

The doctrine that disembodied spirits return and 
communicate with persons living on the earth engaged 
the attention of the writer quite early in its history, 
and he thought the phenomena which were presented 
could be explained on natural principles, but found it 
a mistaken idea. He also found that he was a natural 
medium in two ways, or phases, and practised it for 
investigation only, during eight years, when he became 
satisfied of its origin and character, and quit it forever. 
He never accepted the theory for a single hour, but 



PREFACE. 7 

admitted its real phenomena, because they were plain, 
being visible and provable. 

In view of our many years of investigation of the 
subject, we expect the work will be worthy of a place 
in any library for reference by all classes of students ; 
and if so, it will be one of those bargains that benefit 
both parties, and which always please 

The Author. 



DIVISIONS OF THIS WORK. 



WHETHER SPIRITUALISM BE A HUMBUG. 

Under this head the popular charge of " humbug," or " human 
trickery," is disproved, and it is proved that a higher — yet not 
almighty — power produces the phenomena. Pp. 13 — 40. 



WHETHER SPIRITUALISM BE A RELIGION. 

In this Topic much interesting matter is introduced from 
many sources, all of which proves that Spiritualism is a denial 
of all Religions. Pp. 41—107. 

ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 

Herein is shown that the claims of Spiritualism are greater 
than all others for man's moral and social good ; and that they 
are fast proving a failure. Pp. 108 — 201. 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 

This Topic treats on Real Angels, good and bad, and proves 
that those claimed by Spiritualism are mythical. 

Pp. 202—240. 



PHENOMENA. 

Twenty-two phases of Mediumship are here noticed and 
accounted for, while " disembodied human spirits " are shown to 
h;ive no place in any of them. Pp. 241 — 393. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 

Radical and peculiar teachings by " spirits," as claimed, are 
here viewed and reviewed, and some Bad Theology as well. 

Pp. 394—464. 

Note — There are Two Hundred quotations in this work. 
8 



OPENING REMARKS. 



Having "let down the bars" (in the Preface), we 
now enter a great field, and if there be a greater, it is 
the one by which man's history is bounded throughout 
his en f ire existence ; but the first mentioned is the one 
which you and I, candid reader, will now attempt to 
explore. In doing so, we must look for facts, and hav- 
ing found them, must admit them for the truth's sake, 
even though they should damage or utterly ruin pet 
theories which we or others have long held, and per- 
haps fondly cherished. 

And now comes to hand a gem of a quotation from 
Dr. Channing, who has said : " I must choose to re- 
ceive the truth, no matter how it bears upon myself; 
and must follow it, no matter where it leads, from what 
party it severs me, or to what party it allies." 

Spiritualism, in its modern aspect and phenomena, 
had its origin near Rochester, N. Y., U. S. A., on 
March 31, 1848, as will be seen in our Fifth Topic; 
and when the author of this work began to investigate 
the subject, he thought, as did many others, that he 
would be able, in time, to account for it on natural 
principles known or to be known to human philosophy ; 
but his expectation failed, as that of others has, not 
excepting scientists who have generally dropped the 
subject as a child does a hot iron. Mr. Charles Mor- 

(9) 



10 OPENING REMARKS. 

ris, in an article found in Lippincott's Magazine of 
September, 1885, as quoted in the Banner of Light, 
acknowledges that science, as a rule, has avoided the 
subject of Spiritualism, declaring that "its methods 
and conditions are usually of a character to set a sci- 
entist beside himself with impatience." Yet science, 
he holds, has not wholly failed to investigate. Spirit- 
ualism has, he confesses, " won over many persons of 
good sense and sound logic, including several promi- 
nent scientists, to a belief in the truth of its claims." 
The same fact is also admitted in " Nineteenth Cen- 
tury Miracles," p. 140. 

Theologians, popularly speaking, have simply branded 
modern Spiritualism with " Humbug ; " i. e., human 
trickery, and the quaint and fearless Josh Billings 
once wrote : " Don't fool with Spiritualism ; it is like 
being a moderate drinker, sure to beat you at last." 
Now, these faulty positions have made this work a ne- 
cessity, and the fact is being felt. 

But to u Josh " we say that we do not propose to 
" fool " with it at all, but to 

View and review, 

Examine, criticise, 

Sort out and analyze, 
until a conclusion can be reached that will be worthy 
of our confidence ; and, also, by which we may be able 
to successfully oppose all its claims for superiority in 
moral and social things, and to utterly disprove and 
set at naught the theory that disembodied human 
spirits take any part in our affairs, either in influence, 
speech, or action. But it may be asked, " Do you deny 
all spiritual phenomena? " We answer, No, but admit 
all that are real phenomena (and there are many of 
them), and account for and explain them satisfactorily to 
those who are willing to consider all sides of the ques- 
tion, and candidly compare them. In so doing they 



OPENING REMARKS. 11 

will learn that while phenomena are a very important 
feature and part of Spiritualism, they are not the work 
of our departed friends or enemies, for such cannot help, 
hinder, or injure us in any degree, time or place, as we 
shall see. 

Pertinent to the investigation, we may here remark 
that we have no war to wage against Spiritualists, in- 
dividually or collectively, but being confident that they 
are deceived, and not deceiving, we do oppose their 
theory, believing it to be a very dangerous error, and, 
on the whole, productive of much evil to the human 
race. Moreover, we do not hesitate to assert that the 
ill effect of its teachings surpasses the belief of all who 
are not familiar with its theories, phenomena and doc- 
trines ; and this, too, in full view of the fact that many 
good things are said and done by mediums and other 
adherents to the system. Indeed, it is hard to find a 
system so very bad that no good point or thought could 
be found in it. 

In exploring the field of Spiritualism we shall find 
other great plants growing in the same soil and place, 
speaking figuratively, and though they do not look 
just like Spiritualism, yet, if we trace them to their 
origin, we shall find that they have one common root 
which runs so conveniently near the surface that any 
of its many-hued offshoots soon find their way into the 
sunshine and air of peoples, tongues and nations. 
Hence in human nature they find care and nursing, 
and though they present different hues, foliage and 
proportions, they develop and finally bear, in charac- 
ter, the same fruit, viz. : radical error in sentiment, and 
complete destruction as a result. 

We suspect that some of those plants (theories) were 
culled from the "wilds" of nature, to suit individual 
fancy, and ambition, and having easily found the ever- 
branching, long-lived roots, they were at once inserted, 



12 OPENING REMARKS. 

or grafted in, which insured growth, because their 
natures have an affinity for error. Some of these will 
be considered in this work, incidentally or separately, 
for two reasons : 

First. On account of nearness of kin, and 
Second. Because the facts pertaining to them are 
much needed by very many of our readers, and may be 
brought out and made plain to them. 

The treatment of the subject in a general, rather than 
a strictly doctrinal manner, will tend to such a result, 
as it will bring to view many more facts connected with 
it than it otherwise could do. This will readily appear 
when we consider that more than two hundred quota- 
tions from books and periodicals bearing on the subject 
are inserted for view or review, many of them as im- 
portant to the reader as they are pertinent to the sub- 
ject. They include resolutions clipped from current 
reports of conventions and other data, statistics, etc., 
during the last forty-five years ; thus making it authen- 
tic, explanatory, and also, readable, as well on account 
of variety of topic and diction, as of large, clear type, 
suited to the many dim eyes that fain would read on 
this side of the great subject under consideration. 



FIRST TOPIC. 



WHETHER IT BE "ALL HUMBUG." 

There is nothing in Spiritualism that is false, for the reason 
that whatever is false is outside of Spiritualism, and is neither 
part nor parcel of it. — Banner of Light, April 25, 1885.* 

The cry of "Humbug" has rated and berated, 
vibrated and reverberated forty-five years, and still 
the theory, or system of Modern Spiritualism lives, 
and, indeed, thrives the better for the liberal application 
of the epithet — coming, as it has, largely from profes- 
sional men — because it has the effect to retard deep 
investigation by very many minds, and thus they are 
more easily led to accept the system in question. 

We refer, now, particularly to that class of persons 
who have seen real phenomena, but cannot answer 
questions pertaining to them which arise in their own 
minds, neither find others who do so, intelligently, and 
who, but for the fact that bare-faced fraud has been 
perpetrated in connection with phenomena, as seen by 
them, would be encouraged to make a strong effort to 
learn how to unravel some of the mystery with which 
it is shrouded, and give truth a chance to dissipate the 
fog which so generally hangs around it. As it is, many 

*The great error in this assertion is shown in our Fourth 
Topic. — Author. 

(13) 



14 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of this class doubt a while, and then go over to Spirit- 
ualism, while another larger and less studious class, 
being more credulous, are easily led to embrace the 
theory which we are to refute. 

With these remarks, we invite kind criticism, and 
will choose as representative characters, Candid Reader, 
Honest Sceptic, and Radical Ohostman, and take them 
by the hand to journey on toward a rational and satis- 
factory conclusion touching the topic before us, viz. : 
Is Spiritualism a humbug, i. e. } human trickery ? Many 
men of learning answer and say yes, but we doubt and 
pass on, hoping to elucidate important truths bearing 
on this part of the main question or subject. And this 
is a very important point, for if it be true that Spirit- 
ualism is all human trickery, then we have only to let 
it alone, for, like a feather or a stone, it will fall in due 
time by its own gravitation. 

In pursuance of the object already named, we will at 
once introduce an editorial from the Philadelphia 
North American, of July 31, 1885 : 

We publish this morning another communication in which 
Mr. Thomas R. Hazard continues the review of his Spiritualistic 
experiences, and we bespeak for it the impartial consideration 
of our readers. We hope that it is not necessary for us to 
explain that the North American is not in sympathy with 
Spiritualistic practices nor in the least danger of being con- 
verted to even a qualified belief in Spiritualistic tenets. But 
Spiritualism, whatever may be thought of it, must be recognized 
as a fact. It is one of the characteristic intellectual or emo- 
tional phenomenon of the times, and as such it is deserving of 
a more serious examination than it has yet received. There 
are those who say it is all humbug, and that everything out 
of the ordinary course which takes place at the so-called seances 
is the direct result of fraudulent and deliberate imposture ; in 
short that every Spiritualist must be either a fool or a knave. 

The serious objection to this hypothesis is, that the explana- 
tion is almost as difficult of belief as the occurrences which it 
explains. There must certainly be some Spiritualists who are 
both honest and intelligent, and if the " manifestations " at the 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 15 

seances were altogether and invariably fraudulent, surely the 
whole thing must have collapsed long before this, and the 
Seybert Commission, which finds it necessary to extend its in- 
vestigations over an indefinite period, which will certainly not 
be less than a year, would have been able to have swept the 
delusion away in short order. Probably there is something in 
Spiritualism, but nothing as we think which does not admit of 
a rational and matter-of-fact explanation. Precisely what that 
something is, has not yet been satisfactorily determined, and in 
the meanwhile it seems to us that testimony on the subject is in 
order. It is because we believe Mr. Hazard's statements are 
entirely sincere and honest that we give them a place in our 
columns. [Capitals are ours.] 

The above is the most interesting editorial on this 
subject that we have seen in a news journal for many- 
years, in that it is candid, impartial, suggestive, and 
altogether well calculated to encourage its readers in a 
proper investigation. The editor virtually confesses 
(as do many others) that he is unable to fully " deter- 
mine" what Spiritualism is. Possibly, he may feel 
more inclined to do so after a candid perusal of this 
work, of which he now has no knowledge whatever. 

He notes the fact that some say it is all humbug, and 
that " every Spiritualist must be either a fool or a 
knave." Now, while the first assertion is not proven, 
and the last is incorrect in letter, and unkind in spirit, 
the proof is still wanting that " Spiritualism " is a hum- 
bug, i. e., human trickery. 

Let us compare some of the charges of " all humbug," 
and like epithets, with known facts, and then treat the 
claim that " Spiritualism is true," in the same liberal 
manner, for we may even give the theory a good start 
by discounting, or lopping off, all that its friends claim 
to be human fraud, believing that the investigation will, 
in the end, be able to discover to us the truth which 
we seek, and which we always expect to find between 
extreme points. 

By the term " humbug" we understand human 



16 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

trickery, deception, fraud, cunningly devised opera- 
tions for the purpose of misleading others. That there 
are such practices under the claims of mediumship is 
well known and admitted ; and, also, that the parties 
succeed in getting money by imitating the true medi- 
umship which they desire, but do not possess. One of 
the most interesting cases of the kind was the " Katie 
King" fraud, which occurred in Philadelphia in 1874. 
A full account of it was copied from the Inquirer by 
the Boston Herald of Dec. 21st of that year, and from 
which we quote the following extracts : 

The cabinet, which had been placed in one corner of the 
second-story front room, with one side against a door which 
opened into a bed-chamber, was easily arranged so as to admit 
of ingress from the bed-room. The boards were all fastened 
with screws, and battens were placed outside and inside about 
two feet from the floor. It was an easy matter to take out one 
of the boards and put in its place a duplicate so divided at the 
battens that the point of juncture could not be seen. The up- 
per part of this board was firmly secured, but the lower portion 
was loosely fastened with two screws, while the other screw 
heads were " dummies." When it was thought a strict exam- 
ination of the cabinet would be made, the divided board could 
be taken out, and the original put back in its place. When the 
Katie King seances began, Dr. Child was permitted to examine 
every nook and corner in the house. 

HOW THE SHOW WAS CONDUCTED. 

At the seances the visitors would meet in the front room with 
the cabinet, and the door would be locked. "Katie King" 
would soon after enter the house from the street, make her way 
to the bed-room, assume her white dress, and with a smail 
screw-driver take off the lower portion of the divided board. 

These preparations could not be heard on account of the 
singing and music-box noise, which was continually kept up. 
To enter the cabinet was then an easy task for " Katie," and 
with a stool she could reach the rather high aperture. The 
disappearing and reappearing part of the phenomenon was ac- 
complished by gradually lowering a black cloth over herself, 
and at the same time crouching back into the corner. The 
semi-darkness of the room, combined with the complete black- 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 17 

ness of the inside of the cabinet, made this seeming impossible 
feat very simple. 

THE GREAT LEVITATION FEAT. 

The levitation manifestation, or the suspension of her body 
in the air, was done by means of the stool, covered with a black 
cloth. As it was impossible to distinguish any color but white 
within the cabinet, the stool was, of course, invisible, and by 
stepping upon it very deliberately, and gradually raising her- 
self, the young lady was enabled to present the appearance of 
being lifted from and suspended above the floor. At the close 
of the seance there was always a delay of about ten minutes be- 
tween the time of the last appearance of the alleged spirit and 
the knocks, which signified that no more were coming. During 
this time "Katie" would slip through the hole in the cabinet, 
screw on the loosened board and make her escape. 

THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS. 

On one occasion the Holmeses suspected that the cabinet 
would be taken to pieces after a seance, when, of course, their 
secret might have been discovered, so on meeting Mrs. Holmes 
complained that she was feeling so unwell that her medium- 
istic power was very weak, consequently it would be necessary 
to hold a dark seance first. The lights were extinguished, not 
only in the room, but in the hall, and the dark seance began. 
As the divided board had been taken from the cabinet, it was 
impossible for " Katie " to enter in the usual manner, and she 
consequently came in through the door. Under cover of the 
darkness, and as hands were clasped, she safely crossed the 
room during the ringing of bells and the twanging of guitars 
and other accompaniments of dark seances. Once within the 
cabinet, she had only to arrange her white dress and she was 
ready to begin. A lamp was then dimly lighted, and the usual 
manifestations were gone through with. Had the seance closed 
in the ordinary manner, " Katie " would have been found in 
the cabinet, but " John King," through Mr. Holmes, stated that 
if they would turn out the lights again for a few moments, it 
might give him strength to do some extra materializing. The 
lights were accordingly extinguished, thus enabling " Katie 
King " to come out of the cabinet and leave the room by the 
hall door. After " Katie " had made her escape, " John King " 
explained that conditions were not right, and the light was 
turned on and the seance closed. 



18 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

HOW THE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATORS WERE BAFFLED. 

The ten persons who had witnessed the manifestations then 
took the cabinet to pieces, and as the original board had before 
been returned to its place, they of course found " no trap nor 
trick of any kind." Had the investigators on that evening 
insisted on having but one dark seance they would never have 
signed the certificate which was there drawn up, for as the 
cabinet was on that evening without a trap, Katie King having 
entered it through the door under cover of darkness, she could 
not have made her escape except during the second dark seance, 
at the close of the evening's performance. This was almost the 
only occasion on which a Holmes entertainment began and 
ended with a dark seance, and the reason why this change was 
made should at that time have been more closely inquired into. 

" KATIE " IN THE BOLSTER. 

For a time the door leading from the front room into the hall 
was always locked. As this created much suspicion the 
mediums finally consented to have it remain open until the 
manifestations first appeared. Under such circumstances it 
became necessary to make a change in the matter of keeping 
"Katie" out of sight. The bolster on the bed was therefore so 
arranged that " Katie " could creep into it, and in this she hid 
herself before the seance and after it was concluded. The bed- 
room was many times examined after the change, and the bed 
was also inspected, but no one ever thought of looking into the 
bolster to find out what it was stuffed with. . . . 

SPIRIT FACES. 

The numerous faces shown were nothing but rubber masks, 
so made that they could be blown up into different sizes, and at 
the same time produce different appearances. Mr. Holmes 
could conceal half a dozen such faces in his inside pocket. . . . 

This fraud was so cleverly performed that even 
Robert Dale Owen was deceived by it, and was honest 
and candid enough to admit it. This shows that wise 
men may not be so astute at all times as they hope to 
be. Shortly afterward the Herald published an article 
with reference to Mr. Owen's retraction of his indorse- 
ment of " Katie King," and also his card, which begins 
thus : 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 19 

I do not make any accusation, but simply do not wish to 
give rise to any confidence in these manifestations. Myself and 
friends have every reason to believe that the manifestations of 
last summer were what they were represented to be, but the 
14 Katie King" lately shown us is not the same. . . . 

The Herald then refers to the comments of other 
papers, and quotes from the New York Tribune as 
follows : 

With a mind of unusual activity and calibre, with a vigorous 
and retentive memory well stored with classical and modern 
literature, with a large experience of society and affairs here 
and abroad, he is found to have been at the mercy of an im- 
postor who chose to devote a few weeks of practice to tricks of 
ledgerdemain. It does not require the marvellous skill and 
dexterity of the well-known showmen like Hermann or Houdin 
to bring conviction home to such willing minds. Nothing more 
than a dark room with a closet in one corner is needed for the 
evocation of ghosts without limit. 



The Herald states that after reviewing the case the 
Tribune says : 

There are few ghost hunters who have the integrity and 
honesty of Mr. Owen, and few, therefore, who come out frankly 
and admit the facts when they discover that they have been 
deceived. The trade of " mediumship " is therefore likely to be 
a reasonably good one for years to come. There are thousands 
of people whose love of the marvellous is not counterbalanced 
by any sound notions of scientific possibility or moral proba- 
bility, who rarely go to church or to the theatre, and to whom a 
hushed seance in the dark, with cheap music, and clasped hands, 
is a delightful entertainment. There is no way of preventing 
these people from enjoying themselves in their own way. It is 
of no use to talk of bad taste or absurdity to those incapable 
of perceiving either, or to discuss probabilities with those who 
admit no laws and no axioms which do not square with their 
own ill-regulated fancies. A man who is too strong-minded to 
believe in Christianity, and yet finds no difficulty in believing 
that spirits come out of a closet and dance breakdowns on a 
platform and spin mosquito netting out of the air is scarcely a 
promising subject for argument. To say he disbelieves the 
Bible because he cannot understand it, and believes in Katie 



20 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

King because he has seen her, simply shows that he is as vain 
of the feebleness of his understanding as he is of the blindness 
of his eyes. 

We have now given our readers a rich treat in the 
way of a " materialization " fraud, and which, being so 
able in its way, will go far in the minds of many per- 
sons already inclined to the "all humbug" theory, to 
strengthen their belief in it ; and the value and fitness 
of its having a place in this work will be seen when 
we show the ^fitness of such frauds to prove Spirit- 
ualism to be " all humbug," i. e., human trickery ; for 
although it is interesting in its way, it is no more in 
comparison with true " mediumship " as often practised, 
than is the sombre appearance of a rookery of crows, 
when compared to a dark night, and thousands of 
Spiritualists know it. But this fact does not prove the 
existence of "disembodied spirits," who are said to 
direct " Spiritual Phenomena." 

The author has, for many years, made it a point to 
notice all " expose " circulars or posters with a view to 
challenge them if they advertised to perform all that 
Spiritualist mediums and others have really done, not 
because he favored Spiritualism, but because he wished 
to have facts on either side of the question go for just 
what they were worth, not entertaining a reasonable 
doubt that the result would be the disco very and presenta- 
tion of the true position, which is our main object. We 
expect to show that things are being done by mediums 
which no amount of science or jugglery have been able 
to do, nor can it do it to-day ; and yet, we have ample 
room to say that all this does not prove Spiritualism 
to be true — not even the fundamental claims, or propo- 
sitions, viz. : that " man is immortal," " that his spirit 
survives death, as an entity, or conscious personality," 
and that it can " communicate with living persons." 

Another, and much later article, is the following 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 21 

editorial remarks and quotations from exchanges which 
may be found in a January (1882) number of the 
Camden (N. J.) Post : 

"all mediums are frauds." 

That human credulity has no limit is illustrated every day 
by the faith which, otherwise sensible people, put in the tricks, 
"manifestations," and other impostures of Spiritualists. No 
matter how often these impostures may be exposed, there are 
always people thoughtless, credulous, and foolish enough to 
believe in them — and some even after they are exposed before 
their own eyes. 

One of the most noted and skilful Spiritualistic mediums is 
a man named Slade, who has figured in England, Boston and 
New York. How the spirits of the departed are made to per- 
form by him is told in the Cincinnati Inquirer by S. S. Baldwin. 
His experience is thus given : 

11 He went to New York expressly to investigate the perform- 
ances of Slade, the noted medium, who was then giving seances 
there. He had about fifty sittings, at from five to ten dollars 
each, and it was not until his seeming credulity had disarmed 
Slade and made him a little careless, that any trickery was dis- 
covered. Beyond leading the medium to transmit numerous 
messages from persons who were not dead, not much was 
accomplished until four months of effort had been made. Then 
materializations were called for, and the spirit of a female put 
her hand and forearm into a tangible shape under the table. 
On the night fixed for an exposure, Mr. Baldwin says, I took 
my friend with me. I requested the materialization of my 
deceased female friend. The light was turned down, and she 
was promptly produced, and her hand extended as before. The 
hand was quite adroit, but after a while I succeeded in grasping 
it. It was soft and frail like a woman's. I gave a signal to my 
friend, and the table at which we sat was turned over. I drew 
from my pocket a little bomb prepared with chemicals for the 
purpose, threw it upon the floor, and instantly the darkened 
room was illuminated as with an electric light. There was the 
whole secret exposed to view. My female friend, from the 
shades of the blest, was a sixteen-year-old boy. Mr. Baldwin 
mentions the Rev. George H. Hepworth as cognizant of this 
event." — New York Evangelist. 

After perusing authentic accounts of ingeniously 



22 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

devised trickery and fraud, it is not a wonder that the 
Post and other journals should denounce Spiritualism 
with a big D, even ; but do not fail to notice that 
according to this account, some fifty sittings, occupying 
four months, had been given, and no trickery had 
been discovered in the slate writing, though the dis- 
crepancy arising ftom the very inconsistent phenomena 
of receiving messages purporting to come from the dead, 
while the parties were living, should be noted. This 
practical inconsistency is contingent upon any and all 
real " mediumship." It is a fixed, practical fact; 
and the reason can and will be given elsewhere. 

Now, though it may at first seem strange to the 
keen-eyed, sharp-quilled Post man, and many others, 
yet it will be seen farther on that this does not prove 
humbug on the part of the medium — and Mr. Slade is, 
undoubtedly, a writing medium — neither does it prove 
Spiritualism true ! It is the fault of the directing 
power and not of the registering machine (the medium), 
therefore it becomes a question of correctness in 
expression, rather than trickery in performance 
— a very important fact. Indeed, a knowledge of this 
natural, or fixed, contingency, mainly prevented the 
author from early becoming a Spiritualist. 

Another thought worthy of notice by Candid Reader, 
because pertinent to the subject, is, that the " medium ' : 
in the article above quoted, could have no object in 
pretending to give messages that came from the spirits 
of dead friends, when they were really alive, and so 
perform a trick against himself, or, rather against his 
reputation. He will, however, in the minds of his 
readers be held accountable for the " materialization " 
fraud ; and it seems quite probable that he, seeing that 
Mr. Baldwin was nigh unto being a convert on seeing 
true mediumship, thought to finish his course and 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 23 

graduate him with the materialization problem which 
was then called for, but which proved a failure. 

We can admit that intermediate beings — angels — 
demons, even — can produce and present vapor forms 
in human likeness under favorable conditions, such as 
credulous persons would declare to be materializations. 
We would call them Phantomizations. 

It should be remembered, too, that, although this 
kind of phenomena is quite popular with the very 
credulous, yet it is very hard for deep thinking, candid 
people to comprehend how a spirit that is so immaterial 
in its nature that the words used by the friends of the 
theory to describe it, are the same as are necessary to 
use in describing a footless stocking without a leg — 

in fact, 

SIMPLY 

NOTHING 

— can become so tangible in its nature and parts, as to 
grasp or kiss another, or to make flowers or clothes 
that can be preserved, as has been claimed by some 
mediums ! ! 

Now while we are ready to admit any and all true 
mediumship, as such — denying the human spirit power, 
as claimed, some of which we have noticed — yet we 
must not be required to admit that a conscious entity, 
or personality, which is defined to be nonentity or simply 
nothing, is, or can by its own volition, or by that of a 
medium, be resolved into material parts, and these 
sometimes arranged into a human contour ! self-acting! ! 
and more than this, even displaying intelligence in such 
action, as in greeting a friend or dear acquaintance, by 
the shaking of hands, or by a kiss — rather than a 
stranger ! ! ! 

We do not wonder that the Post remarks that 



24 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

*' human credulity has no limits," when we consider 
the great difference between the party secured, in the 
narrative, and the female friend thought to be so 
promptly furnished ! Moral : When you seek a lady's 
hand do not accept one from a boy ! 

It is plain that any attempt of man to produce 
phenomena that are akin to a resurrection of the dead, 
will not only prove abortive under test conditions as 
did the one in the Post's article, but will be a force, the 
reaction of which would be more fearful in its conse- 
quences than was its action, if carried to its ultimate, 
morally. 

A public discussion of Spiritualism which took place 
in Philadelphia, Dec. 17 and 18, 1884, was published 
in the North American. The debate had a peculiar 
feature, in that it was held between a gentleman and 
lady, which is not a common occurrence ; indeed, it was 
one of the only two of which the writer has any 
knowledge, the other having been held between him- 
self and Mrs. Laura C. Smith, of California, which may 
be noticed again. 

The proposition, as stated in the report before us, 
hardly conveys the whole idea, inasmuch as the kind 
of delusion is not mentioned ; i. e., whether human or 
otherwise, and therefore is perhaps a little abstract 
considered by itself. Mr. Coovert's entire effort during 
the two evenings was to prove Spiritualism a " com- 
plete humbug," saying that it was "all human trickery," 
nnd basing the conclusion on certain proven frauds, 
such as we have noted and commented upon. The 
Rev. gentleman was fluent, distinct and earnest, but 
failed we think to strike the tap-root of Spiritualism. 
His opponent — said to be under " spirit influence " — 
offered but little argument in support of her theory and 
belief. The following is the first evening's report of 
the discussion : 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 25 



A LIVELY DEBATE. 

" Hoolah " Defending Spiritualism Against 
Dr. Coovert's Attack. 

The Hall of the First Association of Spiritualists, at Eighth 
and Spring Garden streets, was crowded last evening with 
people interested in Spiritualism, or opposed to it, to hear the 
debate on " Modern Spiritualism a Delusion." The contest was 
between Rev. J. W. Coovert, of the Church of God, Pittsburgh, 
Pa., and " Hoolah," or, as the Spiritualists put it, Mrs. Adeline 
M. Glading. She is a medium of the spirit "Hoolah," who 
once animated the body of an American red-skin, but long 
since departed this life. . . . Mr. Coovert has long been study- 
ing spiritualistic phenomena, and recently published a challenge 
to debate any spirit upon the above question. " Hoolah " 
likely knew all about it, but waited until she received official 
information through her medium, and then took him up with 
due formality. Last night the parties were on hand. Dr. 
Coovert brought with him Dr. Forney, of Harrisburg, and 
others. This gentleman and Mr. Wheeler, President of the 
Second Association of Spiritualists, presided. Friends of 
Spiritualism occupied the front part of the hall, and opponents 
the rear portion, as was observed by the applause. 

Mr. Coovert occupied the first half hour according to agree- 
ment, and, while he was talking, " Hoolah " seated herself on the 
front portion of Mrs. Glading's brain (as she afterwards told the 
audience), and listened to the assault upon Spiritualism. She 
then marched her medium promptly out to the edge of the 
platform and delivered a reply. Mrs. Glading was attired in 
plain black, kept her eyes closed during her speech and did not 
look as if she was afraid she would fall off the platform. She 
did not move around much, and when she did, stepped side- 
wise. " Hoolah's " language was first rate. Only once or twice 
in her reply did she hesitate or say a wrong word. In one 
place, the Doctor growing quite warm, charged Spiritualism 
with supporting Free-love-ism. At that instant a man in the 
audience yelled out wildly, " You're a liar." 

This caused a little excitement, when Mr. Wheeler called 
order, saying that " we are on our good behavior before these 
people and the world." The medium in her reply said, " the 
charge was blasphemous." The doctor called attention to the 
fact that the " Spirit " had said once that Spiritualism was only 
in its infancy, and again that it was as old as the Bible. 

Everybody understood what she had meant, although she did 



26 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

not exactly say it ; but on that point she begged leave to stand 
corrected. As the " spirit " continued to talk about ten minutes 
over her time, a gentleman in the room became agitated about 
how they would let her know that her time was up. It wouldn't 
look right for the chairman to call " time," as he did to the other 
speaker. She was expected to know that ; but she evidently 
could not see very plainly the clock in the rear of the room. 
When she stopped, another gentleman replied that he " guessed 
the time was about right." 

Dr. Coovert was ioud in his calls for a demonstration. He 
could show any phenomenon they would produce to be a fraud. 
He alluded to their contemptible revelations by asking, " Why 
hide under the table, or turn down the lights?" " Hoolah " 
said that she would not give any practical demonstrations by 
that medium, but had no doubt that there were other mediums 
in the city who would be used for that purpose. Some thought 
she knew that Mrs. Glading was not well enough up to the 
tricks, while others thought that it was nothing more than fair 
that other mediums should get a little of the notoriety under 
which Mrs. Glading was rejoicing. 

The report of the second evening we have mislaid, 
but remember that it was very similar in import and 
character to that of the first, as given above, which, 
though not closely confined to the subject, will interest 
new students of it. It illustrates the position of many 
ministers of the present day, on this topic, and, as a 
consequence, upon the main subject. We think the 
charge of " all humbug " was not sustained in the 
debate. 

As the case now stands, in the discussion of this topic, 
we have shown that able men have charged Spiritualism 
with wholesale human trickery and humbug, and when 
mere pretenders have been exposed, it only strength- 
ened the position of such persons on the " Humbug " 
theory, and very naturally too ; yet the author believes 
without a reasonable doubt, that a considerable part of 
it is a human counterfeit of an (evil) angelic reality, 
and hence no part of real Spiritualism, any more 

THAN THE CONDUCT OF A BAD MAN PROFESSING ChRISTI- 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 27 

ANITY IS A PART OF REAL CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. Of 

course, there is an object in the production of such 
phenomena, whether human or superhuman. We ex- 
pect to discover the object, and in doing so it will be 
proper to show, 

First. That real manifestations are produced ; i. e., 
such as are not produced by conjurers, or sleight-of-hand 
performers under similar conditions. 

Second. That such phenomena are not produced or 
directed by "disembodied spirits" of human beings. 

Third. By whom, or what, such phenomena are 
directed, or produced. 

We will treat upon the proposition by introducing 
the following articles from " Home Circles," a pamphlet 
published in Chicago, 111., page 25, and onward. They 
are headed 

CONJURERS ON PSYCHIC PHENOMENA 
AND LEGERDEMAIN. 

The so-called exposures bear no more likeness to real psychic 
phenomena than a bad dollar does to a good one ; they only 
mislead the ignorant and prejudiced. These alleged exposures 
serve a good purpose in two ways : (1) by agitating thought 
and directing attention to phenomena; (2) by educating those 
who are inclined to be too credulous, and prone to accept as 
genuine whatever is offered. Several of the most noted con- 
jurers have certified that the phenomena are not within reach 
of their art. 

ROBERT HOUDIN, 

the great French conjurer, investigated the subject of clairvoy- 
ance with the sensitive Alexis Didier. In the result he unre- 
servedly admitted that what he had observed was wholly be- 
yond the resources of his art to explain. See Psychische Studien 
for January, 1878, p. 43. 

HERMANN THE PRESTIDIGITATEUR AND MRS. R. C SIMPSON, 

THE MEDIUM. 

In January, 1881, while Hermann was filling an engagement 
at McVicker's Theatre, Chicago, the editor of the Religio- Philo- 
sophical Journal arranged an interview between the celebrated 



28 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

prestidigitateur and Mrs. Simpson, well known as a medium 
for independent slate writing — writing without human contact. 
Hermann, accompanied by his assistant, met Mrs. Simpson, 
Mr. J. H. McVicker and Prof. V. B. Denslow being present as 
witnesses : Hermann having previously confidently assured all 
concerned that no writing would occur. Mrs. Simpson's own 
slate was first used, after being cleaned, examined and pro- 
nounced satisfactory by Hermann. Under Hermann's own 
conditions, writing appeared on the slate. "Are you satisfied," 
inquired Prof. Denslow, " that no living person could have been 
in any contact with the pencil when it did the writing?" 
" Certainly, I am," said Hermann. " How could any person 
get between the slate and the table? " Hermann's own double 
slate was then used with equally decided and satisfactory re- 
sults. A full account of this important case appears in the 
Religio- Philosophical Journal of Jan. 15, 1881. 

In January, 1883, Rev. M. J. Savage, pastor of the Church 
of the Unity, Boston, had an interview in that city with Her- 
mann at which the latter reiterated his usual assertions, that 
he had offered $500 to mediums for a sitting, but could not get 
one, and J;hat the phenomena were all tricks. Whereupon the 
Religio-Philosophical Journal, in its issue for February 17, 1883, 
challenged Hermann to produce the evidence that he ever of- 
fered any medium $500 for a sitting. It is almost needless to 
say the evidence has never been offered. In the same issue of 
the Journal its editor made two propositions, as follows : 

A TWO THOUSAND DOLLAR PROPOSITION. 

The editor of the Religio-Philosophical Journal will pay to 
Hermann, the prestidigitateur, the sum of $2,000 in trust for 
distribution by him among indigent Unitarian ministers, at his 
discretion, upon the following terms and conditions: Said 
Hermann is to duplicate by sleight-of-hand the slate-writing 
manifestations which took place at his interview with Mrs. 
Simpson above referred to ; having done so, he is to explain the 
trick to the witnesses, and show how it is done. All this to be 
done in ninety days and in the city of Chicago, with Mr. J. H. 
McVicker, Prof. V. B. Denslow, Mrs. R. C. Simpson and Rev. 
M. J. Savage as witnesses. The editor of the Journal will pay 
over the money upon the order of a majority of said witnesses. 
The time, place and details for the trial to be arranged by Mr. 
M. J. Savage and Mr. J. H. McVicker. The maker of this prop- 
osition refers Hermann to Mr. J. H. McVicker for proof of his 
responsibility and ability to meet his obligations. Mr. Savage 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 29 

is referred to Mr. B. F. Underwood, associate editor of the Index, 
for the same purpose. 

A FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR PROPOSITION. 

The editor of the Journal once bought two single slates, and, 
accompanied by a witness, visited Henry Slade in the daytime. 
The slates were constantly held by the owner from the time of 
entering the house until after the sitting. The owner of the 
slates separated them to allow Mr. Slade to drop upon one a 
tiny bit of slate pencil, then brought them together and held 
them on his left shoulder in full view. Slade then placed the 
tips of two fingers and thumb on the outer edge of the wooden 
rims of one edge of the slates. In a moment the writing began ; 
when completed, the signal indicating completion was given. 
Slade released his fingers, the owner of the slates brought them 
down in front of him, and, separating them, found the side of 
one slate completely covered with writing. 

The entire sitting was also closely observed by the witness 
taken for that purpose. This experiment is familiar to thou- 
sands who have had a similar experience with Slade, and even 
more striking ones with Watkins, where the sitter and slate 
were never at any time within several feet of the medium. 
Now, if Hermann will come to Chicago, and produce by sleight- 
of-hand a phenomenon similar to the one described in detail, 
under the same conditions, with the editor of the Journal, in the 
presence of H. D. Garrison, Rev. H. W. Thomas, Mr. J. H. Mc- 
Vicker, and such other witnesses as Hermann may select, the 
editor of the Journal will pay over at once to said Hermann the 
sum of $5,000. This offer to hold good for thirty days from 
February 17th, and the trial to be made within sixty days 
thereafter. Notice to be given the Journal of the acceptance of 
one or both of the above propositions on or before Feb. 27th, 
whereupon the necessary papers will be drawn up. 

Now, let Mr. Hermann either come to the scratch, or ac- 
knowledge that he tricks with his tongue off the boards as well 
as behind the footlights. 

Hermann was in Chicago only a few days after these propo- 
sitions were made, but declined to try to earn the money. 
Comment is unnecessary. 

It may be thought by many who are unused to reading 
such articles as above quoted in detail that it requires 
too great a stretch of credulity to admit the phenomena 
as facts; yet they are no more strange, save in one re- 



30 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

spect, than some other phenomena with which they are 
more familiar, but not having studied them closely, 
are not aware of the surprise which awaits them when 
they see that it is not easy to account for their occur- 
rence, or explain their operation; indeed, there are 
some which have never been fully explained. . 

Can you explain how light passes through solid, cold 
glass, and, indeed, through ice, and then burns paper 
or wood? You wonder at the fact, and admire the 
sight, but you cannot fully explain the phenomena. 

Again : you are out for a walk, and when passing 
near a group of trees that lend beauty to the scene be- 
fore you, a gust of wind suddenly disturbs the boughs 
and twigs laden with fruit which present glorious hues 
to your view. Now a stem is parted, and down comes 
a fine large pippin ; and look ! it does not fall up but 
down, down ; yes, and in a straight line, too, until the 
accelerated motion during its fall through the air has 
made it strike the earth with such force that the skin 
of the apple is broken, and its rich colors are marred 
ere you get a chance to admire its beauty, or force the 
cider from it with the mill which was made to grind 
and press it in ! 

But what made the apple come down ? and why in a 
straight line ? " Oh," you say, " that was always so ; 
it's nothing new; it's attraction of gravitation — the 
tendency of things to move towards the earth's centre ; 
that's common ! " Yes, it is common, as a cause in such 
occurrences, but not as an explained phenomenon. Did 
it ever occur to you that attraction is so " common " 
as to be continuous? Indeed, it is the only continuous 
force in nature ; it has not in the history of the world 
had a " day off," not even an hour of rest ! It does 
not rest, but is as continuous as time. Just think ; if 
it were otherwise, then your friend might be journey- 
ing home some pleasant night when " all of a sudden " 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 31 

he would find himself among flying meteors, making a 
swift passage in a straight line from the earth perhaps 
to the moon, without a change of apparel, or even 
provender for his horse ! Moreover, it is believed that 
the earth and other planets, though immense in size 
and weight, are confined to their orbits, or paths 
through space, by the unseen force of attraction. 

From evidence and arguments adduced, it is plain 
that there are phenomena occurring around us, some 
of which involve mighty, and even Almighty energy, 
and which cannot be seen any more than the directing 
power in real phenomena, such as is seen and known as 
true mediumship, or " Spiritual Phenomena." It is 
true there is almost an infinite difference between the 
phenomena noted in " Home Circles " and that which 
we have noticed in Natural Science, in that the former 
displays intelligence, while the latter does not ; but one 
fact is common to both the physical and metaphysical 
phenomena, viz. : that the operating force, or directing 
power, is unseen ; hence, we conclude that phenomena 
are not trickery, simply because the motive power, like 
attraction, is invisible. 

Candid Reader at once becomes interested in these 
statements, knowing that the first query that arose in 
his mind on reading the slate-writing story was, how 
the little " bit " of pencil was grasped or held ? Was 
it by real fingers ? If so, they must be very small ! 
Was it moved by magnetic force, or by the will of some 
being having intelligence ? We are forced to the latter 
conclusion by the fact that the pencil moved, and in 
doing so made letters on the slate so arranged that they 
formed words, and the words represented ideas which 
were either true or false. 

Now this is the kind of phenomena that the ablest 
conjurers and legerdemain performers admit is beyond 



32 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

their art under similar conditions, as we have shown, 
and may further notice in this connection. 

But the reader may doubt the occurrence of these 
manifestations on account of the self-evident fact that 

Some MIND, OR INTELLIGENCE, MUST HAVE DIRECTED THEM 

if they did so occur, which is, still, a question in his 
mind, he not having witnessed it. We answer that it is 
well known that one person may control another under 
favorable conditions by effort or action of the will as- 
suming the positive, while the subject is negative, *. e. t 
in a passive, or receptive position and condition ; and 
this is known as Mesmerism, or Animal Magnetism. 

The person so controlled is ordered, impressed, or 
influenced — if you please- — to feel and think as the 
operator does, and to do as he mentally bids him, no 
matter whether he speaks, or if so, what he says ! 
This may sound strange to you, and even be doubted, 
but you may see in a measure for yourself. If you 
have an intelligent dog and will call him to you and 
commence to fondle, pet, and speak to him in precisely 
the same voice and manner, and with the same apparent 
emotions that you do when you show your ardent love 
for him, only use the most censorious and defaming 
language that your principles will allow, and he will 
wag his tail and jump about with pleasure. Now re- 
verse the style of your voice, manners, and emotions, 
and use terms of endearment and flattery, and he will 
either act like a whipped dog, or erect his tail and ears, 
open his eyes and mouth, and display a fine specimen 
of nature's dentistry as he strikes a defensive attitude ! 

Now try the same plan — modified by a parent's love 
and judgment^-on your nursing child, who has learned 
to enjoy your love, and you will see a similar result ! 
You will notice in the case of the dog, that he is sud- 
denly changed from love to hatred by your manner or 
attitude toward him (a comment on manners), and that 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 33 

the little child is as quickly changed from love and 
joy to disgust and fear under similar treatment. 
There was intelligence in each of the subjects noticed, 
and they were controlled by will and manner — mostly 
by manner — while in a case of mesmerism as suggested, 
the subject (or person) being matured would have 
much more intelligence, and yet be controlled by will 
or influence mainly. 

It also occurs in this kind of phenomena that the- 
subject or person under control can give by speech, 
writing, or other signs just what is given him and no 
more, and we take the position that all mediums are- 
subject to the same law, although controlled by a higher 
power and intelligence, as we expect to make clear to 
teachable persons of fair understanding. If this be so, 
might not the medium be energized or influenced to do 
many wonderful things, or, being near, to make con- 
ditions favorable, the control itself (not a human spirit) 
by magnetic power move the " bit " of pencil between 
the slates so as to make letters and words convey in- 
formation of which the medium could have no knowl- 
edge ? This is a suggestion which we will add to the 
" Rewards " and other evidences already given. 

We now proceed to copy a letter from Harry Kellar, 
the professional conjurer, to the Calcutta Indian Daily 
News, and published in its issue of January 28, 1882. 
We find it in " Nineteenth Century Miracles," page 
213. It is concerning Mr. Eglinton's wonderful medium- 
ship, and is as follows : 

To the Editor of the Indian Daily News: 

Sir : In your issue of the 13th of January I stated that I 
should be glad of an opportunity of participating in a seance 
with a view of giving an unbiassed opinion as to whether in 
my capacity of a professional Prestidigitateur I could give a 
natural explanation of effects said to be produced by spiritual 
aid. 



34 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

I am indebted to the courtesy of Mr. Eglinton, the Spiritual- 
istic Medium now in Calcutta, and of his host, Mr. J. Meugens, 
for affording me the opportunity I craved. 

It is needless to say I went as a skeptic ; but I must own that 
I have come away utterly unable to explain by any 
natural means the phenomena that I witnessed on Tuesday 
evening. I will give a brief description of what took place : 

I was seated in a brilliantly lighted room with Mr. Eglinton 
and Mr. Meugens. ' We took our places round a common teak- 
wood table, and after a few minutes the table began to sway 
violently backwards and forwards, and I heard noises such as 
might be produced by some one thumping under the table. I 
tried to discover the cause of this movement, but was unable to 
do so. After this Mr. Eglinton produced two common school 
slates, which I sponged, cleaned, and rubbed dry with a towel 
myself. Mr. Eglinton then handed me a box containing small 
crumbs of slate-pencil. I selected one of these, and in ac- 
cordance with Mr. Eglinton's directions, placed it on the surface 
of one of the slates, placing the other one over it. I then firmly 
grasped jthe two slates at one of the corners. Mr. Eglinton then 
held the other corner, our two free hands being clasped together. 
The slates were then lowered below the edge of the table, but 
remained in full view (the room remaining lighted all the time). 
Instantaneously I heard a scratching noise, as might be pro- 
duced by writing on a slate. In about fifteen seconds I heard 
three distinct knocks on the slates, and I then opened them and 
found the following writing : 

" My name is Geary. Don't you remember me ? We used 
to talk of this matter at the St. George's. I know better now." 

Having read the above, I remarked that I knew of no one by 
the name of Geary. 

We then placed our hands on the table, and Mr. Eglinton 
kept repeating the alphabet until he came to the letter " G," 
when the table began to shake violently. This process was 
repeated, and the name of Geary was spelt. 

After this Mr. Eglinton took a piece of paper and a pencil, 
and with a convulsive movement, difficult to describe, he wrote 
very indistinctly the following words : 

" I am Alfred Geary, of the Lantern; you know me and St. 
Ledger." 

Having read this, I suddenly remembered having met both 
Mr. Geary and Mr. St. Ledger at Cape Town, South Africa, about 
four years ago, and the St. George's Hotel is the one I lived at 
there. Mr. Geary was the editor of the Cape Lantern. I believe 
he died about three years ago. Mr. St. Ledger was the editor 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 35 

of the Cape Times, and I believe is so still. Without going into 
details I may mention that subsequently a number of other mes- 
sages were written on the slates, which I was allowed to clean 
each time before they were used. 

In respect to the above manifestations I can only say that I 
do not expect my account of them to gain general credence. 
Forty-eight hours before I should not have believed any one 
who had described such manifestations under similar circum- 
stances. I still remain a skeptic as regards Spiritualism, but I 

REPEAT MY INABILITY TO EXPLAIN OR ACCOUNT FOR WHAT MUST 
HAVE BEEN AN INTELLIGENT FORCE THAT PRODUCED THE WRITING 
ON THE SLATE, WHICH IF MY SENSES ARE TO BE RELIED ON, WAS IN 
NO WAY THE RESULT OF TRICKERY OR SLEIGHT-OF-HAND. 

Yours, etc., Harry Kellar. 

Calcutta, January 25, 1882. [Capitals are ours.] 

The foregoing letter needs no comment. It will let 
the " Humbug " theory down as much as " four oc- 
taves," if we may be allowed a musical expression. 
We now present and wheel into line one more siege 
gun ; it is a monster piece, and no smooth-bore, either ! 
Nevertheless, while it disproves the " Humbug " theory, 
it does not prove spiritualism. It is from " Home 
Circles," page 25, and headed : 

SAMUEL BELLACHINI, COURT CONJURER AT BERLIN. 

After I had, at the wish of several highly esteemed gentle- 
men of rank and position, and also for my own interest, tested 
the physical mediumship of Mr. Slade, in a series of sittings 
by full daylight, as well as in the evening in his bed-room, I 
must, for the sake of truth, hereby certify that the phenomenal 
occurrences with Mr. Slade have been thoroughly examined by 
me with the minutest observation and investigation of his sur- 
roundings, including the table, and that I have not in the 
smallest degree found anything to be produced by means of 
prestidigitative manifestations, or by mechanical apparatus; 
and that any explanation of the experiments which took 
place under the circumstances and conditions then obtaining 
by any reference to prestidigitation, is absolutely impossible. 

I declare, moreover, the published opinions of laymen as to the 

II How " of this subject to be premature, and, according to my 



36 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

view and experience, false and one-sided. This my declara- 
tion, is signed and executed before a notary and witnesses. 

(Signed) Samuel Bellachini. 

Berlin, December 6, 1877. [Capitals are ours.] 

It is fair to conclude that such a gun as the above 
ought to silence the humbug theory at this point of the 
investigation, in the minds of candid persons ; but the 
author wishes to submit some facts and thoughts, and 
will then dismiss this topic, and consider another. 

About twenty years ago, Moses Hull, then of Vine- 
land, N. J., and Dr. Morran, of Brockton, Mass., held a 
public discussion upon the subject of Spiritualism, in 
Swampscott, near Lynn, Mass. Mr. Hull was a radical 
lecturer on Spiritualism, while Dr. Morran was a physi- 
cian, and a lay preacher of the Scotch Presbyterian 
Churchy and a very fluent speaker. But an occurrence, 
which was an outgrowth from it, and having in it in- 
formation, illustration, and argument on the vital 
point of our topic, will now be noticed. 

The doctor was very earnest in his effort to prove 
Spiritualism all trickery, and said that he could " bring 
a medium who would perform all that the Spiritualists 
could do," and finally appointed the time for doing so 
by issuing the following circular, which is before us : 

Ancient and Modern Spiritualism ! 

Dr. MORRAN 

Will deliver two lectures upon the above subject, 

illustrated by a 

LIVING MEDIUM! 

Including an exhibition of 
Table Moving and Spirit Rapping, 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 37 

Fortune Telling, Ghosts, Spiritual Mediums, 
Demonology and Deviltry in General ! 



Monday and Tuesday Evenings. 
April 21 and 22, 1873. 

This unique circular had so much of dash and rally 
in it, that the large hall was packed at the hour 
appointed. Though present on time, we had standing 
room only, near the door. After prefatory remarks 
the Doctor introduced a boy who was under mesmeric or 
magnetic control, and, after blindfolding him, placed 
him on the front of the rostrum, and then gave him a 
slate and pencil. Presently, on stepping back some 
seven or eight feet, he proposed to have the " medium " 
(as he called him) tell the age of any persons present, 
who might wish to test his ability in that direction. 

As some did request it, the boy wrote the answers 
correctly, the Doctor having inquired the ages of the 
parties previously in a whisper, and then willed him to 
write the same on the slate ! 

We were then on the point of making our way 
through the crowded aisle to the front where we would 
demand " test," or, we might say, fair conditions ; and 
this was not only fair, but necessary for the sake of 
truth. Just then a Spiritualist, an elderly-looking man, 
at the left side of the rostrum, said : " Let him tell my 
age." The Doctor went at once to the edge of the plat- 
form and stooped to obtain the figures (in a whisper), 
when the man exclaimed, " I don't tell my age, I want 
him to tell it." " Oh," said the Doctor, " he cannot do it 
unless I know it ! " " Well," said the questioner, 
" our mediums do it ! " This produced a sensation, 
for the truth of the answer was well known, and proved 



38 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

again that the charge of " all humbug " could not be 
sustained. 

Moreover, we are willing to testify in any proper 
manner to the truth of the following statements of per- 
sonal experience in mediumship, and observation, also : 

1. A table was tipped partly over, and held without 
human effort against human force when it was applied. 

2. Information was received by the tipping of a 
table, without the presence of a second party, or any 
human trickery in any manner ! 

3. A table moved across a room by the simple touch 
of the ends of the fingers upon the top of the table and 
by word of command ! ! 

4. Information was received by a strange hand-writ- 
ing, without human effort or will, and without any 
previous knowledge of the subject matter ! ! All of 
the above was done in light rooms. 

5. We have also seen an illiterate girl write a com- 
munication in French, which a Frenchman, a stranger, 
read as fast as written, and he received information 
which he had long sought for. Note the fact that he 
was receiving, not giving it ! 

6. We have seen a child healed of fever by the lay- 
ing on of hands by a medium ! ! Who will call this 
" human trickery ? " [See Healing the Sick.] 

The popular clergy have in all phases of earnestness 
declared that " Spiritualism is a Humbug ; " that is, a 
system of human trickery. Of course, they will say 
that the many exposures which have been made are 
the basis of their conclusions, but it certainly was their 
privilege, and indeed we believe that it was their duty 
to investigate candidly and earnestly. 

If they had done so, they would have learned that 
those wholesale frauds were upon Spiritualism, and not 
on Bible theology, and therefore were no part of either, 
per se ; but now, if the common people happen to see 



WHETHER IT BE A HUMBUG. 39 

real phenomena, they at once lose confidence in their 
otherwise able instructors, and many are then quite 
easily drawn into the theory. Thousands will see 

THE TRUTH OF THIS STATEMENT AS SOON AS THEY READ IT ; 

hence we conclude that it is not only a privilege but a 
duty for all ministers of the Gospel to so inform them- 
selves on this momentous subject, that they can give 
" meat in due season." 

There is another class of the clergy who hold that 
Spiritualism is altogether run, or carried on, by Satan 
(whatever the method of operation), and therefore 
simply warn their hearers to let it alone. But how- 
ever good and true this advice, it is not enough to sat- 
isfy the average intellect of the present day, consider- 
ing that men are more curious and inquisitive than for- 
merly, in this matter; and when they are told that 
Satanic power is to exist co-equal with any or all beings, 
God himself not excepted, many stop to investigate the 
awful theory, having, as it really does, the Serpent-to- 
Eve theology for its foundation, with Heathen Super- 
structure, and Platonic philosophy finish. 

Toward this theory of unlimited evil and continued 
woe, Spiritualism assumes an opposing attitude, it hav- 
ing been suggested by Justice, supported by Phenom- 
ena, and nursed by that skepticism which " boxes the 
entire compass" of human selfishness, and yet, strange 
to say, the foundation of one is the corner-stone of 
the other, namely, Ye shall not surely die. Gen. 3 : 4. 
While viewing such doctrines and inconsistencies, we 
can but exhort those clergymen to make greater effort 
to learn the enemy's tactics as well as his doctrines, and 
then to discourse upon them in pulpit, press and family, 
that all may be duly warned of unseen dangers around 
them. 

There has been a sad lack of energy in this direction, 
we think, and it is quite probable that some reasons 



40 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

for it may be discovered in this work. It must plainly 
appear to the candid observer that the indifference above 
noted, and the constant cry of "Humbug," has had the 
effect to lead the laity and other well disposed but un- 
studious minds to conclude that Spiritualism is all a 
" silly sham." 

Some of the clergy, too, are still holding the very 
unscriptural idea, of an approaching temporal millen- 
ium, and hence have taught that Spiritualism will soon 
pass into the oblivion which they think it deserves. 
Facts, however, show us that " while men slept, the 
tares grew," and now they promise an immense crop 
(in a figure), yes, millions on millions. 

The moral of this result/ as stated, is, Do not under- 
rate THE ENEMY, LEST HE STEAL A MARCH ON YOU, AND IT 
RESULT IN YOUR DEFEAT ! 

Having acted on this principle the best we knew, 
under existing circumstances, and aiming to deal with 
facts only, we conclude that Spiritualism is not all 
humbug. 

Right here, after a pause, and taking a bird's-eye view 
of the moral, social, and metaphysical contingencies 
that have hung, and will continue to hang, on the deci- 
sion of this important question, we exclaim, Oh, how 
much mental and physical suffering would have been 
avoided, could we have decided in the affirmative ! 



SECOND TOPIC. 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 

Everything has a name. Some things have more 
than one, while many persons have several names, and 
a nickname besides. If the researches of man have 
discovered to him a new thing in the air, or fished it 
from the depths of the sea, or dug it from a low strata 
of the earth's crust, it does not long remain a non- 
descript ; for it is at once assailed by tests of science, 
and very soon a vocabulary will be consulted and a 
stroke of the pen will add, by the hand of the inven- 
tor, a name ! Well, a name is convenient, and often 
necessary; and the subject of this book has been well 
noticed on this line in its time. But it differs from 
many subjects, in that there is much importance at- 
tached to the necessity of a representative name, which 
the unlearned may readily understand. 

In our First Topic it was seen that many of the 
opponents of Spiritualism had branded it with an 
epithet which had the effect to keep others off their 
guard, insomuch that many were drawn in through 
their own curiosity to see some phenomena that were 
not all humbug, and when in process of time they had 
seen such, they embraced the whole theory. So now 
we may see that the question of " Religion," " no Relig- 
ion," " Philosophy" or " Science," for a name is of no 

(41) 



42 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

little moment. We will consider it by first noticing 
some of the different names it has received at the hands 
of its prominent friends and other writers. 

One of the early works on this subject, " The Edu- 
cator," on p. 136, calls it the " New Enterprise." 

Prof. Denton in the Convention of the Spiritualist 
Association, held in Boston in 1873, calls it " a Relig- 
ion. 

Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten, at the Twenty-fifth 
Anniversary of Modern Spiritualism, held in Music 
Hall, Boston, in 1873, calls it a " Scientific Religion" 
and a " Religion of Science." 

In an obituary notice in the Banner of Light, April 
30, 1873, it is called a " Philosophy." 

Simon de Main, in the Banner of Light, Oct. 3, 1885, 
calls it " Spiritual Philosophy." 

Seldoft J. Finney, in the Relig io- Philosophical Jour- 
nal, Jan. 23, 1886, calls it " Philosophy, Science, and 
Religion." 

Prof. A. R. Wallace, of England, a noted scientist, a 
convert and teacher of Spiritualism, in an article on 
u Spirits and Science," published in the Philadelphia 
Sunday Press, calls Spiritualism a " New Science," and 
says that it is able to " give valuable aid to science, 
and to religion, to philosophy, and to morals." 

The Relig io- Philosophical Journal, as quoted in 
" Nineteenth Century Miracles," p. 449, calls it " Spirit- 
ual Philosophy," and further on, it says that " Spirit- ' 
ualism in its broad meaning is the Science of Life." 

Mrs. Emma Hardinge Britten, author of that won- 
derful compendium of Spiritualistic lore, " Nineteenth 
Century Miracles," on p. 3, calls it " Philosophy ; " and 
on p. 281 she calls it " Religion." Again, on p. 303, 
she calls it the " Science of Sciences." 

Mr. Charles Bright, in an address before the New 
Zealand Psychological Society, in Auckland, on June 



WHETHER. IT BE A RELIGION. 43 

16, as copied from the Harbinger by the Banner of Light, 
Sept. 26, 1885, said: 

"/ deprecate the idea of making Spiritualism A re- 
ligion, and prefer to see it a Science, as it is the grand- 
est science that nature has yet revealed to man." 
[Emphasis is ours.] 

Rev. William R. Alger, pastor of the Free Church, 
holding its services in Music Hall, Boston, preached a 
discourse on Sunday, Feb. 2, 1873, on " The Phenomena 
and Theories of Modern Spiritualism," and taught that it 
aimed to be a true " Spiritual Religion." — Banner of 
Light, Feb. 15, 1873. 

Mrs. Laura Cuppy Smith, with whom the author 
held a public discussion three evenings, in Lynn, Mass., 
in 1873, called it a " Beautiful Philosophy." 

Some call Spiritualism " Free Religion," and a writer 
in the Banner of Light, April 5, 1873, says that " Free 
Religion and Spiritualism are near neighbors." 

The following racy and spicy declamation of Dr. Tal- 
mage is before us, and was clipped from the Boston 
Herald, March 2, 1875 : 

TALMAGE ON SPIRITUALISM. 

With the exceptions of the workings of some occult law 
which will by-and-by be explained, all spiritual manifestations 
are arrant and unmitigated humbugs. " I ate too much before 
going to bed, not long ago," said the preacher, " and in a short 
time I saw the president of one of our colleges astride the foot 
of the bed, asking the loan of five cents. It was not a spiritual 
exhibition, it was too much hot mince pie ! " 

I indict Spiritualism as a social and marital curse, as an un- 
clean, adulterous, and damnable religion ; and the sooner it 
drops into hell, where it came from, the better. I wish I could 
gather all the raps that were ever heard from the blest, or 
damned, and bring them together into one thunderous rap on 
its head. I would try to crush it forever. I hate the doctrine 
and believe that its disciples . . . are doomed to death. 

The above protest by Dr. Talmage is too interesting 



44 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

to be left out of this work, evincing as it does his ac- 
customed dash-and-vigor style of expression which, in 
this case, is highly suggestive of a decided dislike to 
Spiritualism; and withal he has favored us with a 
name for it, having the distinction of uniqueness, at 
least. 

He admits that Spiritualism is not all unmitigated 
humbug. Yery true ; but we think he may yet see 
that he furnishes it with a club to be used against him- 
self, aside from the error of calling it a " Religion," 
whether with or without the epithet, as quoted. 

" Zell's Encyclopedia," under the terms Spiritualism 
and Spiritualist, defines it, "A Philosophical System," 
and " A Philosophical Doctrine." 

We now offer to the candid, common-sense, truth- 
searching student a literary curiosity ! He will be 
almost dazed with the array of words which suggest 
the wonderful, beautiful, holy and sublime ; the poetic, 
social, speculative and absurd, making a sort of intel- 
lectual kaleidoscope ; and all this an effort to define 
Spiritualism. We clipped it from the current number 
of the Banner of Light, January 23, 1869. The 
writer's name is not with the excerpt, and we have 
forgotten it : 

Spiritualism, a Divine Eclecticism, a Phenomenon and a 
Philosophy, a Science and a Religion, is based upon tangible 
facts, upon past historic testimonies and the soul's highest in- 
tuitions. 

Its fundamental idea is, God the infinite spirit-presence, 
immanent in all things. 

Its fundamental thought is, a joyous communion with spirits 
and angels, and the practical demonstrations of the same 
through the instrumentalities of media, or mediums. 

Its fundamental purpose is, to rightly generate, educate and 
spiritualize all the races and nations of the earth. 

Its worship is aspiration ; its symbols, spheres and circles ; 
its prayers are good deeds ; its incense, good words ; its sacra- 
ments, the wine of holy affections ; its baptisms, the fervent 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 45 

pressure of warm hands and the sweet breathings of guardian 
angels ; its mission, human redemption, and its temple, the 
universe. 

Spiritualism, considered from its philosophical side, is 
Rationalism ; from its scientific side, Naturalism ; and from its 
religious side, the embodiment of love to God and man, a 
present inspiration, and a heavenly ministry. In the year 
nineteen hundred it will be the religion of the world ! 

Spiritualism is the second " coming of Christ ; " not in person, 
but in principle — the divine principle — the indwelling God — 
the Christ principles, wisdom, love and truth. Since the 
physical coming in Bethlehem, the revolution of a religious 
cycle has been completed. Angels are in the " clouds of heaven ; " 
and in our dwellings also, repeating their ministries and loving 
words of " Peace on earth, good will to men." 

What a literary production ! Here are six, or more, 
definitions of the term or name, besides an artistic 
theological triangle, with a colossal speculation for a.d. 
1900 pasted on its shining sides ! As we took it from 
our library after seventeen years of seclusion, it sud- 
denly suggested a declamation, thus : 

In its flighty, racy rambles, 

And its playful " trapeze " gambols, 

We wonder what will be the sequel, 
Seeing there never was its equal ! 

We come now to the best spiritualist authority in 
the world, the Banner of Light. In its prospectus it 
has always called Spiritualism a " Spiritual Philoso- 
phy," which is, without doubt, the best comprehensive 
definition. 

Warren Chase, the oldest lecturer on Spiritualism, 
says in the Banner of Light, April 5, 1873, when 
speaking of Christianity, that " Spiritualism does not 
belong to it, and never did," and then argues it forcibly. 
This statement is nothing less than fact — incontrovert- 
ible truth, and we hope Candid Reader will memorize 
it. 



46 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

We have assumed the position that Christianity is 
Religion, but it may be that Honest Skeptic would 
like to consult authority on the term ; so we turn to 
the word Religion and find : 

Religion, n. (from Latin religio, to bind fast). That bond or 
obligation and sense of duty which we feel from the relation 
in which we stand to some superior power; specifically, an 
acknowledgment of our obligation to God as our Creator, 
Preserver and Redeemer, accompanied by a feeling of reverence 
and love, and a consequent return of duty and obedience to 
Him; duty to God and His creatures; practical piety; godli- 
ness ; devotion, with the practice of all moral duties and obliga- 
tions. Any system of faith and worship. 

The varieties of religions in the world are almost innumer- 
able; but they may be reduced to Four — Jewish, Christian, 
Mohammedan and Pagan. 

It is readily seen that religion involves the idea of 
a Superior Being, of wisdom and power — as God ; re- 
quiring notice — as in prayer and praise ; obedience — 
as in good actions ; and for which He will bestow bless- 
ings present and future. So that man, on accepting 
such a theory or system, acknowledges his allegiance, 
and so is " bound fast." Now please notice that any 
radical opposing theory and practice, by the same rule 
would be irreligion, i. e., not religion. 

The following interesting (perhaps not pleasing) 
communication was published in the Banner of Light, 
August 20, 1870 : 

Pawtucket, R. L, July 29, 1870. 

Humanity versus Christianity. 

President of Cape Cod Camp-meeting of Spiritualists : — I cannot 
be with you this year. Can I have the platform a short 
time ? If so, I will say a worn* with pen and ink. This is my 

speech Man — his nature, relations and destiny — is my 

one life-thought ; his elevation and happiness my one subject. 
By man, I mean woman also. The body is not the man ; it is 
but an incident to him. The death of the body is not the 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 47 

death of the man ; nor does it change his relations, obliga- 
tions and duties. These are the same out of the body as in it. 
Down with all Gods, Religions and Governments that tend to 
dishonor and degrade man. 

Man owes allegiance to no being or power outside of 
himself ! Creeds, codes and constitutions, Churches and 
Governments, are nonentities when they conflict with internal 
conviction. 

The battle of the race is between the individual soul and 
godless corporations. Ecclesiastical and governmental organiza- 
tions are the chief sinners of the race. Those who constitute 
the governing class in Church and State are, as a class, the 
most inhuman and corrupt portion of the human family. They 
lie and steal, rob and murder, and do every conceivable wrong ; 
and Christianity consecrates their doings. . . . 

Love is man's only saviour. To save us it must exist in our 
hearts. Love in Christ's heart can save him alone. Christ died 
to save himself, and no one else. My soul is the only manger 
in which my saviour can be born. A saviour and a sovereign are 
born in and with each one. The only creed, code and constitu- 
tion that are infallible and of binding force are given to each 
one as a birthright. Each one has a right to interpret it for 
himself. 

God made each man an autocrat, with one subject, i. e., him- 
self. Man has no more right to govern others than he has to 
enslave, rob or kill them. The only governing power of each 
one is in himself, not in another ! 

It is a matter of indifference to me, who or what Christ, as a 
person was, or where he was born, or whether he was born at 
all. The question is not worth a thought, whether he ever had 
a personal existence — though I think he had. . . . We are to 
sit in judgment on the spirit, principles and actions of Christ, 
as we do on those of Thomas Paine. 

It is obvious that whatever else he was, Christ was not a 
Christian. Were he to live with us now, as he did with the 
Jews eighteen hundred years ago, there is not a church that 
would take him in. He lacked the essentials of a Christian, in 
faith and life. He was a good and true man. I love Christ ; I 
hate Christianity. 

Christ and Christianity are moral antagonisms. In Christen- 
dom the battle of the race is between humanity and Christianity. 
One or the other must die. . . . 

The great issue of the century is between humanity and 
Christianity. Humanity saves; Christianity damns. Christ 
embodied humanity, Christendom, Christianity. The great 



48 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

work of Christianity is to baptize all that governments legalize. 
The more of Christianity man has, the less of Christ he has. 
The more perfect the Christian, the more imperfect the man. 
The Christian must be dug out of us and cast away, root and 
branch, before the man can spring up in us. The death of the 
Christian is the birth of the man. 

Spiritualists have forced this issue upon the arena of discus- 
sion. They must meet it. Let them do it calmly, kindly, 
lovingly ; but firmly, earnestly, and for victory to humanity, 
and death to Christianity. We deny the foundations of 
Christianity. We have challenged Christendom to a defence, 
not of the infallibility and authority of the pope, but also of 
the Bible and of miraculous conception. . . . 

From the high and holy platform of Spiritualism we look 
upon the great battle of the race that is now being fought with 
a zeal and devotion never before known. The great issue is 
between God in man and the animal in man. A union of the 
two is essential to existence here. But which shall have the 
master} 7 ? To answer this is the mission of Spiritualism. . . . 

Let pas&ion intensify, and let love, or God, consecrate passion 
and keep it in subjection. Christianity subjects the God to the 
animal in man, in his marriage, social, political, and ecclesias- 
tical relations, and especially when the animal is embodied in 
Church and State, and backed up by the penal and military 
codes and establishments of mankind. 

Be this then our one great battle-cry : Man sacred I Success 
to whatever tends to elevate and ennoble man, woman, and 
child ! Defeat whatever tends to their degradation and ruin. 
Blessings on what tends to make them holy ; curses deep and 
strong on whatever tends to make them unholy ; up with all 
that saves; down with all that damns us and our fellow- 
beings. 

One great shout of triumph rises from my heart in behalf of 
the Cape Cod Camp-meeting of Spiritualists, for it saves all and 
damns none. [Capitals are ours.] 

Henry C. Wright. 

A very remarkable " speech," truly. The gist of the 
production is an effort to avoid moral responsibility. 
We think the style is an abstract allegory, bottom side 
up ! One editor has said that it needs no comment. 
Perhaps he takes the position that the party most 
interesttd did^ in an amusing and trying incident which 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 49 

actually occurred in New Gloucester, Maine, a year or 
two before the writer lived there — some thirty years 
ago. 

A certain farm hand who was notably a terrific 
swearer was in company driving a wagon loaded with 
Yankee pumpkins, and when nearing the top of a steep 
hill the tail-board of the wagon dropped out, and by 
the time the men had stopped the team and trigged the 
wheels, the pumpkins had obeyed the laws of gravita- 
tion, and the last ones were hastily joining their mates 
in the golden panorama moving down the hill. This 
was much to the dismay and chagrin of our friend, the 
driver, who stood speechless viewing the scene. The 
helper wondered at the entire absence of profanity 
from him, and asked : " Why don't you swear ? ' : 
"Oh," said the driver, "I can't do the thing justice !! " 
That is about our " fix," too, but will venture to remark 
that Mr. Wright's article contains no evidence that 
Spiritualism is religion. 

In the Banner of Light, April 27, 1865, we find 
some questions put to the " Spirits," and the answers 
given, as follows : 

Ques. Do you teach that man is a part of God ? 
Arts. We certainly do. 

Ques. Is not the creature distinct from the Creator? 
Ans. No ; the creature and the Creator are one and inseparable, 
and you cannot prove to the contrary. 

This, it will be seen, admits of no chance for Spirit- 
ualism to be called " Religion," and please notice that 
it is from headquarters — the " spirit-land " — the foun- 
tain-head of Spiritualism, as claimed by Spiritualists. 

Dr. E. C. Dunn said in Convention (as quoted in the 
Banner of Light, Oct. 5, 1867, and which is now be- 
fore us) that "mediumship is the only source from 

WHICH WE DRAW OUR INFORMATION CONCERNING SPIRIT- 
4 



50 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ualism." We shall notice some strange teachings that 
come from that source, aside from the monstrous 
absurdity in the colloquy above quoted. 

We clipped from the Boston Herald report of the 
Convention of the Spiritualist Association in 1873. the 
following Resolution : 

Resolved, That as Spiritualism inculcates individuality, we 
will not indorse the peculiar views of any, only so far as they 
accord with our reason, and when carried to their ultimate, will 
elevate, and not debase, for the province of reforms is to benefit 
the human race. 

This resolution is not so sweeping in its expression 
as some which will appear, but it carries the idea of 
" individuality " right through, viz. : ego, i. e., I, Me 
radically, myself not subject to another party's judg- 
ment or dictation. Now, if we transpose the leading 
thought as expressed in the foregoing resolution, and 
say that any view which will accord with our " indi- 
vidual " reason, if carried to its ultimate, will elevate 
mankind, we remark that it would be true only in case 
that our mode of reasoning happened to be on a high 
moral plane, which is abstract, and too abstract for the 
basis of a religion, for that would demand a standard 
of a superior type, and, moreover, it must be the char- 
acter of a second person, or object. Guiteau received, 
or conceived, ideas which " accorded " with his way of 
reasoning, and he put them in practice on the line of 
" reform," as he claimed, but it " elevated " no one but 
himself, and that only to the scaffold ! 

Human reason never made a microcosm, much less, 
a universe. Human reason never made a mammoth 
tree in the grove of Calaveras in California, nor a spire 
of grass in the garden. 

Human reason never brought into existence an 
elephant of colossal form, having brain, and, conse- 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 51 

quently, mind ; nor the tiniest ant in the sand, display- 
ing knowledge, if not genius ! 

Reason never produced an ostrich which can run, or 
kick, like a horse : nor a humming-bird that extracts 
sweetness from the pistils of a flower while it balances 
in mid-air to a point, only able to do so by varying the 
countless motions of its tiny wings so as to exactly suit 
the density or motion of the atmosphere ! 

Reason never spoke into life a whale in the sea, or a 
minnow in the brook ; no, not even an atom in the 
anatomy of a microscopic creature that swims in any 
drop of water we drink ! And shall man — himself a 
creature — unable to create even a low order of animated 
beings, set forth ideas for a standard of ethics ? He, a 
self-constituted little moral monarch, himself his only 
subject (according to the Spiritualistic theory), thus 
ignoring the Infinite Mind and Mighty Power that 
planned, formed, and preserves a System of Worlds ! 

Shall man oppose God because, forsooth, the revela- 
tion which the Creator made to His creatures requires 
the little monarch — this little microcosm — to acknowl- 
edge some obligations to Him, thus becoming responsible, 
which, of course, he shrinks from ? We ask, shall he 
dare to call his rebellion against obligation to God, 
"Religion ? " Oh, tell it not to us ; proclaim it not in the 
nine hundred miles of paved streets in Philadelphia ; 
publish it not anywhere that man, though with boast 
and bombast proclivities, should so nearly lose his 
" reckoning" on the pretentious and portentous sea of 
egotism ! 

Now, Candid Reader and Honest Skeptic, if you still 
think that Spiritualism is Religion, please read to the 
end of the Topic, and we will gather up our " quills 
and scissors " and move on. 

We now take from our library a large book, — The 
Educator, — which was an early work in the history 



52 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of Modern Spiritualism ; and though it may be thought 
by some Spiritualists to be too radical, yet their " Dec- 
laration of Principles" (see Sixth Topic), made nine 
years afterward, is found to cover the same ground 
when the document is fairly criticised. The book was 
edited by A. E. Newton, and said to be directed by a 
" Society of Spirits," styling itself " The Association 
of Beneficents," through the mediumship of John 
Murray Spear. On page 136 we find the following 
language : 

We come to lay the foundation of a new and unheard of 
enterprise. A direct, truthful, easy, and natural method of 
addressing the inhabitants of earth having been discovered, we, 
dwelling in higher conditions, improve the favorable circum- 
stances thus afforded to disseminate useful instructions. 

Several, cooperative associations have determined to lay the 
foundation of an enterprise which shall not only greatly advan- 
tage the present generation, but which shall be of great service 
to generations yet to come. The corner-stone of this new enter- 
prise rests on the following eternal principles : [Capitals are 
ours.] 

First. Man is immortal. [This is Satan's seance, or serpent-to- 
Eve theology. — Gen. iii. 4. — Author."] 

Second. As he improves his opportunities in one life, he becomes 
better prepared for the lives which are to succeed. 

Third. The interests of a single individual are inherently inwoven 
with the interests of all other individuals, in whatever condition, na- 
tion, or life they may be. 

Fourth. The highest happiness of the individual is found in pro- 
moting the individual and collective good of others. [The standard 
of " good " is not given. — Author."} 

Again, on page 412, we find the following : 

What, then, are the essential qualifications requisite to fit 
men for the work now proposed? These qualifications will be 
indicated in their natural order : 

First. The person to whom it is proposed to engage in this 
labor should clearly comprehend the fundamental principles on 
which the new government is to be based. He may be cate- 
chized in the following way : 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 53 

1st. Do you understand that it requires two persons, male and fe- 
male, to constitute a whole man f 

2d. Do you understand that each man, and each woman, if you 
please, has a perfect right, under all circumstances, in all conditions, 
and in ivhatever locations, to do as he or she pleases f 

3d. Do you allow that government is but a temporary arrangement, 
to be outgroivn with greatest possible speed ? 

If the person thus addressed is able, without the least equiv- 
ocation, without the slightest qualification, to answer each and 
all these questions affirmatively, that will constitute one essen- 
tial qualification. 

After considering whether the person questioned is 
" ready now to aid " in the work, it continues : 

Are you willing to risk your reputation, your property, your life, 
if need be, in this new enterprise f Searching though this question 
may be, yet, unless the individual questioned can answer it 
fully, frankly, and without hesitation, he is not the man for the 
time — whatever he may have been, whatever he may become. 

On pages 525-6, God and man are thus referred to, 
or described : 

The Divine is a Substance . . . The emanation is magnetism. 
That from which it flows, then, is also magnetism. Hence, the 
Divine is of necessity a Sea — a Vast Ocean of Magnetism [We 
can only exclaim What logic ! — Author]. . . Man is God's 
embodiment — his highest, divinest outer elaboration. God, 
then, is man, and man is God ; that is, they are akin by nature 
— they are one in the sense that a family is one, interlinking, 
interfolding, interconscious .... No clearer idea of the Divine 
Existence can possibly be communicated to mind, than is con- 
veyed in the statement that He is One Grand Universal Man ! 

We can see no way to found any religion on such a 
set of " principles." Indeed, to attempt to reconcile 
that Religion which fits all people, in all conditions 
so perfectly as to make all of them good, with the 
" Principles " under notice, would be as unsuccessful as 
was the schoolboy's problem on his slate. It was on 
this wise : 



54 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

A younger brother attended school with the author 
when we were boys, and though he was the smarter 
lad, yet he failed one day on a problem which he had 
" worked out " on the slate, and when Master Blaisdell 
stopped at his desk to see the process, he said, " Wil- 
liam, your figures are all right, but you cannot add sheep 
and dollars together." William's problem illustrates 
the relative position of the " Principles " quoted, to Re- 
ligion. They are utterly unlike in character, unscrip- 
tural in sentiment and doctrine, and we think they are 
very absurd in expression. 

But, after all, a candid thinking man cannot help 
pondering and wondering over such a production, for it 
is not a hastily written " squib," but was deliberately 
placed upon the pages of a large sized book, and offered 
to the w.orld as " Eternal principles ; " and the first one 
laid down is Satan's Old Saw, namely, " Ye shall not 
surely die." Gen. 3 : 4. The first time it was said, it 
made the speaker a " sinner," 1 John 3:8; a " liar " 
and " murderer," John 8 : 44 ; broke up the first, rich- 
est, and happiest family that ever lived on earth, Gen. 
3 : 16-18, and chap. 5 : 5, and for which he is under 
sentence of death, Heb. 2 : 14, and will be executed, 
Rev. 20 : 10-14. 

Now, many teachers have, from time to time, for 
various reasons, and because of different personal inter- 
ests, seen fit to persist in filing the old saw when it had 
been injured by running against the hard nails of 
Truth, in the attempt to demolish True Theology. It 
has been dulled, and much damaged too, by Truth- 
plated bolts and arrows hurled against it in the guise 
of anti-eternal torment missiles by Spiritualism, as well 
as straight Infidelity and Atheism. We say guise, be- 
cause many Spiritualists do not consider that both 
Spiritualism and the eternal torment theories are based 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 55 

on the same first principle, viz. : " Ye shall not surely 
die." 

Satan, at length, seeing that the " cloven foot " would 
be recognized by quoting himself (Gen. 3:4), changes 
the diction, and declares through modern mediumship 
that " Man is immortal." Thus, many are convinced 
that the Old Saiv is " all right," in spite of Scripture 
teachings and sound logic, which last is, we claim, a 
legitimate child of Known Facts and Common Sense. 

We now present a logical argument against Satan's 
impudent claim that man is immortal. It is not our 
own, neither is it new, for we heard it twenty-five years 
ago ; yet, it will be new to very many of our young 
readers, and a goodly number of advanced students as 
well. The argument has two remarkable features, or 
facts, connected with it, viz. : 

First. It has never been met, in discussion, though 
it has been presented a great many times in different 
places, and by different men. 

Second. It does not use the Bible in its operation : 
hence, when joined with the fact of its agreement with 
Scripture teachings, it must be considered irrefutable. 
The following is a summary from an old clipping be- 
fore us : 

The assenters and subscribers to Satan's Theology 
— Man is immortal — beg the question at the start by 
saying, " Of course, we do not claim that the body is 
any part of the real man ; it is only the house he lives 
in ! The real man is the spirit, the soul, the thinking* 
and accountable part of man." Therefore, it is the 
spirit-man, as claimed, which we must consider ; hence r 
we remark that the spirit-man is either transmitted, 
created, or pre-existent. Either of these positions or 
propositions will be found very faulty. 

1. If the spirit-man is transmitted from father to 



56 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

son, then it is divisible ; and if divisible, it is destruct- 
ible, hence not immortal. 

2. If it is created at birth, then the Creator must 
be very busy day and night making " spirits ; " and 
this includes illegitimates as well ! ! 

3. If preexistent, there must be a great storehouse 
where " spirits "are kept on hand, only awaiting in- 
carnation when they will animate fleshly forms, some 
of which are fatally corrupted, ere they are born ! ! 
Who will charge such theology to the God of Heaven ? 

It has been truly said that the spirit is the man, or 
it is not. If it is the conscious entity, it is the man, 
because man is a conscious being ; and no theory, not 
even Spiritualism, claims Two conscious entities in the 
same person. 

The .spirit is either the whole man, or a part of him. 
It is not claimed to be the whole of him ; therefore it 
must be either a part of him, or no part of him. If 
no part, it is something foreign to him. If it is a part 
of him, it is not a man by itself, and therefore should 
never be called man, more than an arm, eye or foot. We 
do not find the spirit ever called man ; therefore, we 
conclude it is not the man, consequently not a conscious 
entity by itself. 

Again, if the spirit is a part of man, it commences 
with him, and stops when he does, and therefore is not 
a man by itself If man is mortal, every part of him 
is mortal also ; hence it follows, that if the spirit is a 
part of man, it must be mortal ; for what is true of 
the whole is true of all its parts. 

If the spirit is a part of man, it was made when he 
was made. But man was made of dust — the entire 
man — no intimation to the contrary. Indeed, science 
proves that earth contains all the elements which are 
found in man. 

Again, if the spirit is the man, it is either mortal or 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 57 

immortal. If & part of man, it is mortal, because man 
is mortal. If immortal, it is not a part of man ; 
hence man has no such spirit, as intimated in the ques- 
tion. 

Having now proved by logical deductions that man 
is mortal, and that his spirit is not immortal, we take 
from our scrap-book the following list of spirits with 
their names or qualifications as given in the Bible. It 
is decidedly interesting to notice the entire absence of 
"immortal" as a qualifying term for them, seeing that 
we were " brought up " to believe very differently ; but 
here they are : 

1. We read of the spirit of Antichrist in 1 John 4 : 3. 

2. The spirit of bondage, Rom. 8 : 15. 

3. The spirit of counsel, Isa. 11 : 2. 

4. The spirit of divination, Acts 16 : 16. 

5. A dumb spirit, Mark 9 : 17. 

6. The spirit of error, 1 John 4:9. 

7. Evil spirit, Luke 7 : 21. 

8. A familiar spirit, 2 Chron. 33 : 6. 

9. The spirit of fear, 2 Tim. 1 : 7. 

10. A foul spirit, Mark 9 : 25. 

11. The spirit of jealousy, Num. 5 : 14. 

12. A lying spirit, 1 Kings 22 : 22. 

13. A perverse spirit, Isa. 19 : 14. 

14. The spirit of slumber, Rom. 11 : 8. 

15. A sorrowful spirit, 1 Sam. 1 : 15. 

16. The spirit of vexation, Eccl. 1 : 14. 

17. Unclean spirit, Mark 1 : 23. 

18. The spirit of understanding, Isa. 11 : 2. 

19. The spirit of whoredoms, Hos. 4 : 12. 

20. A wounded spirit, Prov. 18 : 14. 

21. The spirit of infirmity, Luke 13 : 11. 

22. The spirit of anguish, Exod. 6 : 9. 

23. A hasty spirit, Prov. 14 : 29. 



58 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

24. A haughty spirit, Prov. 16 : 18. 

25. The spirit of sleep, Isa. 29 : 10. 

26. A grieved spirit, Isa. 54 : 6. 

27. The spirit of heaviness, Isa. 61 : 3. 

28. A faint spirit, Ezk. 21 : 7. 

29. A troubled spirit, Dan. 2:1. 

30. The spirit of disobedience, Eph. 2:2. 

31. A proud spirit, Eccl. 7 : 8. 

32. The spirit of adoption, Rom. 8 : 15. 

33. A broken spirit, Ps. 51 : 17. 

34. A faithful spirit, Prov. 11 : 13. 

35. The spirit of grace, Heb. 10 : 29. 

36. Humble spirit, Isa. 57 : 15. 

37. A patient spirit, Eccl. 7:8. 

38. The spirit of truth, John 14 : 17. 

39. The spirit of wisdom, Eph. 1 : 17. 

40. An'excellent spirit, Dan. 6 : 3. 

41. The spirit of sanctification, 2 Thess. 2 : 13. 

42. The spirit of judgment, Isa. 4 : 4. 

Returning to the " Eternal principles," we will say 
of them that, altogether, they answer to our idea of 
" Free Religion " as taught by some whom we know as 
half- fledged Nothingarians, and others who dislike 
moral responsibility. 

We think there is no such thing as "Free Religion ! " 
" No such thing f " repeats Honest Skeptic in surprise. 
" Why Warren Chase says (in the Banner of Light, • 
April 5, 1873) there is, and that c Free Religion and 
Spiritualism, both being above and out of Christianity, 
are near neighbors,' and it's so." Well, Honest, we are 
glad you are so earnest, but let us see. We have said 
that " Free Religion " is no religion, practically. It is 
only an idea, a misnomer. Religion is not absolutely 
free, it is only abstractly so. 

Again : any system of free thought or system of 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 59 

thought and action, which is absolutely free, is not re- 
ligion. But now we are asked, " Is salvation not free ? " 
Not absolutely — only by choice. "Is it not free as air f " 
It is not. " But why not ? " Because air is necessarily 
free, i. e., not limited. Air is free in itself, without 
choice, of necessity — filling all space not occupied by 
ponderous bodies ; it is free to all ; you cannot help using 
it if you would [and live], and you use it wherever you 
happen to be ; hence it is free of necessity. 

Salvation is free by choice through religion, not of 
necessity, for you can live without it ; yet, it is freer 
than water, because you may have it when no water 
can be had ! Now, while salvation is thus free, it does 
not prove that Religion is free, for salvation is not 
religion — not a cause of it — not a process — not a part ; 
but a result — the result of religion. 

Now, of the system of " Free Thought," or the idea 
of unlimited ideas, which we have noted, we say that 
if it were absolutely free, then it would be not only free 
to you, but free in itself, having no bounds, or restraint, 
no dictation of conditions to limit itself in quantity or 
quality of thoughts, or ideas ; a sort of " free and easy " 
social and moral (?) stream (of life) whereon each one 
sails in the craft which he made for himself, and per- 
sists in being his own pilot and captain ! But what 
about those independent ego craft, when in the rapids 
near the falls (death) ? Do they all go over safely ? 
No ; indeed they do not. Now it is asked, " Who 
knows ? " Ah ! we have seen at least one such craft 
swamped in the rapids ! This one is enough to " break 
the record," or claim. 

Moral : secure your Pilot (Christ) for the voyage. 

Of the Christian system of Religion, we say there is 
a vital, yes, an infinite difference between it and Man's 
" Free Thought " system. Religion is free to you by 
acceptance, but it is not free in itself, because it has 



60 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

bounds so that it cannot accept the entire range of 
man's Free thought, but is limited by Divine wisdom to 
conditions and rules, making, as it were, bands to bind 
those who accept it, to those expressed requirements or 
conditions which constitute the system what it is — the 
way of salvation. 

To make it plain; let us recall the stream (of life) 
from our allegory, and assume that He who made the 
stream, as we find it, knew all its perils, and therefore 
could and did make a craft (religion) that can outride 
all dangers, and furnished a Pilot who is the " Captain" 
of Salvation, and who will see it safely through the 
rapids and falls into the clear, boundless ocean of 
eternity ! Tell us, Honest Skeptic, have you ever seen 
that ship swamped, or wrecked ? You say, " Never ! " 
and you say truly. But we have stood and looked off 
from snore (life) and have seen the swamping and 
wrecking of pert-looking craft, variously named, 
" Nothingarian," Free " Thought," Free " Religion," 
" No Religion," " Spiritualism," — and the latter, in one 
case, in Gloucester, Mass., called piteously to the Cap- 
tain of Salvation for help, but we cannot say whether 
the little craft was reached and its occupant saved, 
though it left our sight, hopeless. 

It is now seen that Religion, although it is the way to 
Salvation, limits or subjects its adherents to conditions, 
or special requirements, and is, therefore, a " narrow 
wa}'," and could not be represented by so broad an 
adjective as "Free," for a prefix, else it would be a 
" broad-way," morally, where throngs would meet and 
make it popular with " free thought," which means, 
practically, all kinds of thought. So we see that a 
system of unqualified Free Thought, or freedom of 
ideas, cannot be Religion, and that a system of Religion 
cannot be merely Free Thought ; therefore, " Free Reli- 
gion " is NO RELIGION. 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 61 

We have said that Religion limits, or subjects its 
possessor to certain requirements, or self-denials, which 
unbelievers look upon as naughty children do disci- 
pline while they are yet naughty, but rejoice in it 
when they are disciplined ; and we have argued such 
demands and restraints as distinctive marks of the 
Christian svstem of Religion. We are aware that to 
many minds this is at first repulsive, as they are afraid 
— like many men when about to be married — that they 
will sign away their liberty ! Please note this : if you 
sign away any of your liberty in either case, it is that 
of doing wrong, and which you have no occasion to 
keep, as a good man or woman. 

Djd you ever, when especially enjoying the bless- 
ings of liberty, consider that unlimited liberty is, prac- 
tically, every degree of Anarchy, only ending in mur- 
der ? If you never did, you will now for the first time 
see the beauty of the wisdom displayed in the consti- 
tution of the Christian Religion, for in that we have 
the highest possible authority on liberty — liberty to do 
right ; but no liberty to do wrong ! That dear word 
" Liberty," properly defined and used, is the active 
principle of the Christian Religion, which would at one 
stroke clear the entire world of every known phase of 
crime, from murder down to one unkind word, and yet 
we are told that Spiritualism is far better ! ! 

Our old townsman, Edwin Foster, of Bennington, 
N. H., used to sell S. Baldwin's fine cutlery on the 
road, and one day he called at the office of a large shoe 
manufactory in Haverhill, Mass., and learned that they 
used Moran & Fulton knives, whereupon he proposed 
to sell them a better line of cutlery. They declined 
the offer, saying that they " had no use for better 
knives than Moran & Fulton's ! " Thus do we decline 
the offer of our Spiritualist friends, and say that we 
want no better religion than the Christian Religion. 



62 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED 

The " Eternal Principles," as quoted, which prompted 
this discussion and digression we will now by consent 
of Honest Skeptic name The Free Thought System, which 
we believe will cover the entire range of human unbe- 
lief. And will this Free Thought System result in 
salvation ? No ! In eternal misery ? Never !' What, 
then ? Destruction, personally and intellectually. 
See Mai. 4:4; Rev. 21 : 8 ; Obadiah 1 : 16, and two 

HUNDRED AND SEVEN OTHER TEXTS, IF DESIRED. 

Returning to the line of review, we notice that Mr. 
Charles Bright, in his eloquent address on Spiritualism 
in Auckland, New Zealand, June 16, 1885, said : 

" Truth (meaning Spiritualism) must eventually 
prevail and survive when the religious systems of to- 
day have sunk into decay." 

This virtually rejects or denies all religion, as Spir- 
itualism really does, although many persons who claim 
to be such are not aware of it ! 

The following resolution was passed in a mass meet- 
ing of the Spiritualists of America, convened in Thomas' 
Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, Friday, May 23, 1873, and 
published in the Cincinnati Daily Press : 

Resolved, That we most heartily oppose, and shall use our 
united efforts to defeat the present and any and all efforts that 
may be inaugurated to insert a recognition of God in the Con- 
stitution of the United States. 

It was adopted without debate. 

If this is not a back-handed blow in the face of 
Deity, then we think that human genius would fail in 
any further attempt to perform the presumptuous in- 
sult ! What is man, though he were multiplied by the 
8,000,000 of Spiritualists in the United States, and 
aided and abetted inside and outside of the sum total 
by Atheists, Anarchists, Nihilists, Socialists, Commun- 
ists, Infidels, Free Thinkers and Nothingarians, that 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 63 

he should think to direct the affairs of this great na- 
tion of 65,000,000 of souls the better for having rele- 
gated the Almighty from even an honorary seat in it! 
Doubtless the substitute would find, after all possible 
inflation of his vanity and conceited wisdom, that he 
occupied but a mere point of the space left for him ! 

Soon after Prof. Fairfield, of Hillsdale, Michigan, 
had returned from Rome, he favored the city of Con- 
cord, N. H., with a most eloquent lecture on the fa- 
mous city which he had visited. Though having 
never seen him since, we well remember that evening's 
entertainment, beginning with the following interest- 
ing remarks : 

"I arrived in Rome about six o'clock, very tired and 
weary by the long ride, and well covered with dust. I 
had thought to rest for the night, but after supper I 
could not do so. The dream of my life was realized ! 
I was in Rome ! ! I must see it ! On going out I soon 
met two American gentlemen, with whom I enjoyed a 
delightful evening walk." 

On learning the time when St. Peter's Cathedral 
was to be opened for some special occasion, Prof. Fair- 
field was promptly on the ground. Passing the mas- 
sive metal doors — about thirty feet wide — and the four 
immense stone columns, each ninety feet square, and 
one hundred and ninety feet high — either of which 
would build a dozen common churches — he came to 
the audience room. 

Here was something unaccountable : the time had ar- 
rived, and only a little group of persons, apparently, 
were seen near the altar ! It must be a failure ! He 
turned and went out on the street wondering at the 
strangeness of the affair, and soon concluded to go back 
and see it through. Entering the vast audience room 
again — like " Baby " in the little poem — " he walked," 
and "he walked," until he reached the little group. 



64 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

where he found several thousand people marching and 
counter-marching in procession ! ! By this time he got 
some idea of the vast space which was still unoccu- 
pied. 

What think you ? We think the Professor's stand- 
ing room in St. Peter's was a straitened place, if com- 
pared with the space which the conceited substitute in 
our comment would have in the Constitution of the 
United States, under the circumstances named ! 

But Candid Header will ask if God is now recog- 
nized in the Constitution ? Yes, virtually, for he was 
recognized in the Declaration of Independence, and was 
not rejected in the Constitution ; moreover, Congress 
has paid more than Fifteen Hundred Thousand Dollars 
to Chaplains for prayers to Him that He might lead 
and bless its members in their deliberations and enact- 
ment of laws for the nation ; and they have respect- 
fully deferred the business of each day until such " recog- 
nition " was made, and were listeners, if not partakers 
in it ! Again, this has been practised for one hundred 
years ! Once more : many millions of prayers have 
been offered for the Government, by as many of its sub- 
jects, who never saw its Halls of Legislation ! 

Now, what is the result ? Well, despite the fact 
that the National Government has been menaced by 
Foreign Power, by Indians, by Slavery, by Treason, by 
Mormonism, by Assassination, and by Anarchism, with 
other " isms," as underminers, at a cost of millions of 
lives and billions of dollars, it has increased its size, its 
population, and its value ; and many boast of its being 
the best Government that the dazzling king of day in 
his unwearied travels enjoys the privilege of greeting 
with his glory-lighting beams ! 

Dare we suppose that some man will straighten up 
on his conceited wisdom and conclude that all this has 
been done, or could be done, while God was practically 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 65 

ruled out of the Constitution ? We hope none of our 
skeptical friends will make such a mistake as to jump 
at that conclusion, and emigrate with it on a fast train, 
believing it to be patent ! 

As a matter of course, very many of our readers will 
be surprised to learn that such radical and determined 
opposition to God and the Bible is so freely expressed 
in any civilized land ; and this is the more remarkable 
for being the voice of conventions, which are not to be 
treated as a hasty, individual say-so, but as high 
authority. 

We now follow with another theme, or part of our 
topic — Prayer — and show the reader that the same 
God who is so variously ignored, maligned and depre- 
cated is also addressed and implored at times by the 
same parties. Many will be surprised when we tell 
them that Spiritualism has no more use for prayer 
than a frog has for an umbrella! It is not consistent 
with its " Declaration of Principles," as we shall show. 
Nevertheless, some mediums and lecturers do offer 
" invocations," as they call them, to beings real and 
unreal, and even to the devil ! ! Here Honest Skeptic 
straightens up and exclaims : " That's too much ; I 
can't believe it ! " Well, Honest, if that be so, you had 
better take a resting position, and read on, that you 
may be relieved of the doubt which found expression 
in your remarks. 

Several invocations and prayers of different style 
and character will now be presented which will in- 
terest very many readers, while they could not, in 
justice to the subject, be withheld. As a few speci- 
mens are from the Banner of Light, it will be well 
to state for the benefit of those who are not familiar 
with that paper, that a full page is devoted to " Spirit 
Messages" and "questions answered by spirits" (as 
claimed), with, at least, one "invocation." 

5 



66 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

In the Banner, dated Dec. 20, 1884, we find reported 
from the seance held on the 18th ult. the following 

Invocation : 

Our loving Father, we come to thee with trusting confidence 
to receive of thy benediction. Oh ! may we perceive the holy 
influence of thy ministering ones at this hour. Touch the 
hearts of those sorrowful mortals who are in need with thy di- 
vine, thy all-powerful love, that they may receive the satisfac- 
tion of their wants. Oh ! give unto the mourning ones conso- 
lation and comfort. He who requires light, illuminate his 
mind that he may see clearly ; and may all who from some 
cause sorrow, or travel the pathway of experience with painful 
burdens upon their backs, realize that the discipline of life hath 
been given unto them by a wise and a most merciful parent. 

Oh ! our Heavenly Father, like little children we would come 
to thee for instruction, and for glimpses of thy great truth we 
would gain wisdom through experience, love, and all things 
that beautify and adorn the spirit through the passage that our 
souls travel in their onward march, and as we journey on from 
day to day may we feel it is our privilege and our duty to fulfil 
the mission thou hast assigned to us. If we can speak a word 
of cheer or give a smile to a lonely heart, may we do so with a 
will that will help sweeten the pathway of those whom we 
meet. And if, in thine own wise providence, thou hast de- 
creed we shall do some great work that will be of use to hu- 
manity, may we do it cheerfully, and be willing to bear the 
burden of doing unto others as we would have them do unto 
us. 

We ask thy blessing to rest upon all humanity, upon the 
humble and the weak ; especially may it be felt by those whose 
souls most need to be uplifted and strengthened by thy divine 
protection. 

Ere you read the last line of this invocation, you are 
ready to exclaim, "How beautiful! How eloquent!" 
And so it is ; indeed, we think it more so than any we 
have ever seen in this department. And whence this 
eloquence ? How many who have read it, think you, 
while enjoying the very pleasing language as a petition, 
or devotional exercise, have once thought that it was 
Bible eloquence, in part? 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 67 

Notice the beginning and ending of the three para- 
graphs, and you will see that transpositions of some of 
Christ's words in his prayer and sermon, plainly appear. 
Despite all this, it has the appearance of eloquent 
mockery, when we consider that the " spirit" studiously 
avoided the most essential points, or parts of gospel 
teachings, which belong to the language so freely used 
in the invocation above noticed. Transgression, con- 
fession, repentance, and forgiveness were not given a 
place in the eloquent address, not to mention the omis- 
sion of auy recognition of Christ, thus making it a long 
remove from prayer, religiously speaking. It is well 
illustrated by a sermon which was preached by a smart 
young minister, whose eloquence had led him into a little 
spiritual pride — that species of estimation which is, 
positively, sure of rebuke — and when he asked an older 
minister how he liked the discourse, was told that "it 
was a very fine delivery, but it had no Christ in it!" 
Considered by itself, it was an eloquent mockery. Hence, 
the shameful inconsistency of beings, demon or human, 
eloquently asking favors of God, when they deny Him 
and His Word, and also His Christ, as a Saviour, be- 
comes measurably apparent. 

Very different from this was Solomon's prayer at the 
Dedication of the Temple at Jerusalem, nearly Three 
Thousand years ago ! Only think of a king in all his 
glory — the wisest one in history — in a gorgeous Temple 
of his own make, and before a vast throng of loyal 
subjects, and actually upon his knees addressing a prayer 
to God which to the w r ise was eloquent and instructive, 
while the unlearned readily understood it, because of 
its simple construction ; the Prayer and Benediction 
being composed of Ten Hundred words, while Eight 
Hundred are words of one syllable ! 

It is no wonder that — 



68 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

We stop, and stare, and gaze, 

Lost in wonder how to praise ! 

But subjects grand and themes sublime, 

In immortal ears will ever chime ! 

In the Sixth Chapter of 2 Chronicles and Eighth 
Chapter of 1 Kings, we learn that Solomon had set in 
the midst of the court, in the temple, a pulpit, or ros- 
trum made of brass, about eight feet square and five 
feet high, and upon it he " kneeled down upon his knees 
before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth 
his hands toward heaven," and prayed to the God of 
Heaven, as follows : 



O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, 
nor in the earth ; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy 
unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts : 

Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that 
which thou hast promised him ; and spakest with thy mouth, 
and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. 

Now therefore, O Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant 
David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, 
There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the 
throne of Israel ; yet so that thy children take heed to their way 
to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me. 

Now then, O Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, 
which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David. 

But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth ? 
Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee ; 
how much less this house which I have built ! 

Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his 
supplication, Lord my God, to hearken unto the cry and the 
prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee : 

That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, 
upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put 
thy name there ; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant 
prayeth toward this place. 

Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and 
of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place : 
hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven ; and when 
thou nearest, forgive. 

If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 69 

him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in 
this house; 

Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, 
by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own 
head ; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according 
to his righteousness. 

And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, 
because they have sinned against thee ; and shall return and 
confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee 
in this house; 

Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy 
people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou 
gavest to them and to their fathers. 

When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because 
they have sinned against thee ; yet if they pray toward this place, 
and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost 
afflict them ; 

Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy ser- 
vants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the 
good way, wherein they should walk ; and send rain upon thy 
land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance. 

If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there 
be blasting or mildew, locusts or caterpillars ; if their enemies 
besiege them in the cities of their land ; whatsoever sore, or 
whatsoever sickness there be: 

Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made 
of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall 
know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his 
hands in this house : 

Then hear thou from heaven thy dw T elling-place, and forgive, 
and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose 
heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the 
children of men ;) 

That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they 
live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. 

Moreover, concerning the stranger, which is not of thy peo- 
ple Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's 
sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they 
come and pray in this house ; 

Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling- 
place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee 
for ; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear 
thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house 
which I have built is called by thy name. 

If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way 



70 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward 
this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have 
built for thy name ; 

Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their sup- 
plication, and maintain their cause. 

If they sin against thee (for there is no man which sinneth 
not), and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over be- 
fore their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a 
land far off or near ; 

Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are 
carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of 
their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, 
and have dealt wickedly ; 

If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their 
soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried 
them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest 
unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, 
and toward the house which I have built for thy name ; 

Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling- 
place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their 
cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee. 

Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let 
thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. 

Now therefore arise, Lord God, into thy resting place, thou, 
and the ark of thy strength : let thy priests, Lord God, be 
clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. 

O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed : re- 
member the mercies of David thy servant. 

Here follows the king's blessing, or benediction, upon 
the people, with ascriptions of honor to God, and his 
continued confidence in him : 



And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of pray- 
ing all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord, he arose 
from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees 
with his hands spread up to heaven. 

And he stood, and blessed all the congregation of Israel with 
a loud voice, saying, 

Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Is- 
rael, according to all that he promised : there hath not failed 
one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the 
hand of Moses, his servant. 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 71 

The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers : let 
him not leave us, nor forsake us : 

That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his 
ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his 
judgments, which he commanded our fathers. 

And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication 
before the Lord, be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night, 
that he maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his 
people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require: 

That all the people of the earth may know that the Lord is 
God, and that there is none else. 

Prayer, as taught in the Bible (which is the oldest 
authority), consists in the confession to God of all trans- 
gression, believing that He can and will forgive it be- 
cause Christ has suffered the penalty of such trans- 
gression by His death ; therefore, the believer humbly 
implores the forgiveness of God and asks for all needed 
help in temporal as well as in spiritual things. 

This kind of prayer constitutes a claim which never 
was refused by the God of Heaven, — not even discussed, 
contested, or " tabled " during man's history ; hence, 
the believer receives pardon, and is happy both in doing 
good and getting good, and holds a promise of eternal 
life upon the earth when it is made new, as promised 
in Isa. 65: 17, and Rev. 21: 1-4, and many other 
texts. It will be a happy state of things when evil 
will not even Cl come into mind." 

This, in a word, is religion, and its final result ! Does 
Spiritualism offer something better ? With a cheerful 
smile on his face, as though he had found something 
worth picking up, Candid Reader answers, " No, it does 
not ! " Now, Honest Skeptic, with hands in his pockets, 
walks silently to the window and studies nature in the 
pretty scenery outside, looking as if he was nearly per- 
suaded to renounce skepticism; and, even Radical 
Ohostman is silent and gazing at a picture on the wall ! 
He begins to see a difference between religious prayer 



72 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

and a selfish, though eloquent request with more or less 
praise of a Being whom they always deny if put to the 
test. Such are " invocations " said to be offered by 
" spirits " through their mediums in " Spiritual Circles." 

Reasoning then on this line of thought, with princi- 
ples already noted, we conclude that while prayer in- 
cludes invocation, an eloquent invocation may be very 
different from a prayer which accepts conditions made 
and given by God Himself. The Apostle Peter says 
that " God is no respecter of persons; " true, but He is 
a respecter of character, so we are glad that one may 
be as good as another, although not so great. 

The following prayer is known as the " Lord's Prayer," 
which He taught his discfples when He was yet with 
them. It is a short one- — a sample, too, for as such it 
was given by its author to those who choose to pray, for 
none were hired or forced. It is found in the Sixth 
Chapter of Matthew, where He says : 

" After this manner pray ye : 

" Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy 
name. 

" Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as 
it is in Heaven. 

" Give us this day our daily bread. 

" And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 

" And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from 
evil : For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the 
glory for ever. Amen." 

In the next two verses He argues one of the most 
important and essential objects of prayer, which is for- 
giveness ; He says : 

" For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heav- 
enly Father will also forgive you : 

" But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither 
will your Father forgive your trespasses." 

If Solomon's prayer was grand in its eloquence, length, 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 73 

and humility, surely Christ's prayer, which by gift and 
injunction became His Disciples Prayer, is more grand 
in its brevity and simplicity, especially when we con- 
sider its importance. 

The sinners prayer — that which brought justifica- 
tion to the publican — is much more brief, having Seven 
words only ! — See Luke 18 : 13, and do not forget it : 
u God be merciful to me, a sinner ! " 

The invocation in the Banner of Light, April 25, 
1885, begins thus : 

" Ye bright and beautiful angels, ye blessed intelli- 
gences from higher spheres, we invoke your presence 
and your influence this hour." 

The inconsistency of imploring and adoring angels 
will be seen in the Sixth Topic, but we remark here that 
if angels of Bible history are meant, then neither 
" Spirit-guides " nor Spiritualists should attempt this, 
for they will not receive homage. See Rev. 22 : 9. If 
"advanced disembodied spirits" are meant — and we 
think they are — then a more awkward inconsistency 
will appear when we show that there is no reliable evi- 
dence that such beings have any existence anywhere ! 

The great underlying error of all such systems of 
thought and belief is the doctrine of the natural immor- 
tality of man, or any part of him. It furnishes the 
seed, sap and fibre of all that comprises false theology. 

The sub-soil plough, Candid Criticism, having Scrip- 
ture, Known-facts, and Common-sense, patent points, has 
demonstrated to many plants (or theories) in the field 
of thought, that the proposition of the " survival of the 
fittest," can fit those only who are " rooted and grounded 
in the truth." Not one of this kind has ever been up- 
rooted by this triple-pointed iconoclast. Indeed, they 
have withstood the crucial test condition ; for when the 
relentless fingers of Death had nipped the buds, and 
appropriated the flowers, that the capsules might not 



74 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

appear, and so identity be lost, he dropped them into 
his dark valley of eternal night, as he would have them 
think. 

But hark ! Hear, Earth ! His power has been 
broken ! ! One Sunday morning, very early, a messen- 
ger was sent by the highest authority, to invade Death's 
dark valley, and bring out a Pattern Flower which he 
had hid in a house of solid rock, when a great stone was 
rolled against the door and " it was sealed" Nor was 
this all ; a guard of Roman soldiers was set as a watch 
to assist Death in keeping the treasure in his inclosure ! 
Scarcely had the dew-drops of that new morning ceased 
to refract the light of day in their rainbow colors, when 
dear friends came to the sepulchre and found the seal 
broken, the stone rolled away, and the guards helpless 
as dead men ! Light had entered, the festoons and 
wrappings were there, but the treasure — the " Son of 
the Father " — had arisen ! He was gone ! ! 

Ah ! Death's strong security became less than weak- 
ness — was as nothing. And just as surely will those 
plants (in our figure) survive the tyrant's long night 
— to them but a moment — when, with a mere touch of 
immortality, they will put forth swelling buds and burst 
into blossoms of dazzling glory, while the unfailing 
fragrance will perfume the balmy zephyrs of eternal 
spring-time ! ! 

" It is enough ! " exclaims Candid Reader, "Til be 
there!" Honest Skeptic, though half accepting the 
theory, remarks that it is " too much of literalism ; M 
but Paul says in 1 Cor. 2 : 9, quoting the prophet, that 
" Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have en- 
tered into the heart of man, the things which God hath 
prepared for those that love Him." So, we have not 
set it half high enough ! Nodding assent to this con- 
clusion, Honest wants to know about those other plants 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 75 

(or systems) in our figure, which the Sub-soiler, Candid 
Criticism, so often comes in contact with. 

We have to say of that class they are tares which 
an enemy sowed, and though uprooted, being pretty 
and popular, and easily transplanted in the productive 
soil of Free Thought, many worldlings take to them at 
once, and cherish them until death. Some of them are 
said to withstand the chill of death's icy fingers, but 
very many do not; and we have seen some wither and 
die in his grasp ! This proves that they are, at best, 
not reliable as perpetual livers and fruit bearers. 

The following invocation was clipped from the Ban- 
ner of Light in 1873, or '74, and will be interesting to 
many readers, as a semi-religious puzzle, or enigma : 

Invocation. 

Our Father, and our Mother God, we know that Thy head of 
wisdom and Thy heart of love are leading us through all the 
diverse ways of life, and whether we rise or fall, we are safe in 
Thee. Oh, then, may we go straight forward in the way, 
fearing no evil, but working mightily for Thee and Thy cause, 
and, wherever the darkness may lower around our vision, may 
we also be enabled to see Thy central star of faith, shining out 
brightly, and pointing us to truth. Thou Spirit, in whom all 
wisdom, love, and truth are centred, we worship and adore 
Thee this hour. We bring Thee our offerings, gathered from 
the past and the present, and we ask Thee to bless them, we 
ask Thee to baptize us with that Holy Spirit of faith that shall 
ever abide with our consciousness. Give us strength for all the 
ills, or seeming ills of life. We thank Thee, in behalf of our 
earthly brothers who have so manfully struggled against dark- 
ness, desolation, and seeming death, and we thank Thee, O 
our Father and our Mother, that Thy right hand hath never 
left them ; and they have held faithfully to it, and have come 
up out of the darkness into the light. Oh, Mighty Spirit, we 
will trust ourselves with Thee, forever and forever, singing the 
song, "Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee." Amen. 

The object brought to view in the first sentence of 
this remarkable production, if accepted as literal, is, of 



76 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

course, a monster ! If used as a theory, it is absurd ; 
but any attempt to deify either, or both, would be pre- 
posterous in the extreme, when considered by most men 
of fair intelligence. 

Next, a " Spirit " said to have all " wisdom, love, and 
truth centred in it" is "worshipped and adored." This 
cannot be the Spirit of God, for wisdom, love, and truth 
are centred in God Himself, and not in his Spirit, or 
Influence. 

Thirdly, " Our Father and Our Mother " is addressed 
in the singular number, "Thy right hand." We are 
forced to think that this refers to the first object or idea 
named; and lastly, " Mighty Spirit " is addressed in 
supreme confidence, with praise, in a song addressing 
God ! Now, if we have helped you to solve the enigma, 
we are glad, while you are pleased, and we leave it 
with you. 

You have now, dear reader, been treated to a vari- 
ety of Invocations and Prayers, yet you would not soon 
forgive us if we should omit to present you with one 
which we clipped from the stenographic report of a dis- 
cussion on the subject of Spiritualism between Rev. 
Miles Grant, of Boston, Mass., and Prof. W. Chaney, 
in San Jose, Cal., in the month of January, 1874. 
This prayer (?) is addressed to a different party, but 
whose actual existence is vouched for by the same 
authority that treats upon man and his destiny, and of 
God and his works. At the opening of the last even- 
ing's debate, Prof. Chaney offered the following 

Prayer to the Devil ! 

Lucifer, bearer of Light ! Beelzebub, Lord of Scorpions ! 
Belial, Lord of the Opposite ! O Baal Peor, Lord of the Open- 
ing ! Hades, God of Orcus ! O Devil, Prince of Demons, in 
the Christian Hell ! O thou Monarch of the Bottomless Pit ! 
Thou King of Scorpions, having stings in their tails, to whom 
it is given to hurt the earth for five months, I beseech thee to 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 77 

hear my prayer. Thou seest the terrible strait in which I am 
placed, matched in debate with one of the big guns of Christi- 
anity, with every advantage against me, save that I have truth 
on my side. Thou knowest, Old Bull's Head, that, according to 
all history, thy reign has been most glorious and triumphant. 
Thou knowest, Old Cloven Foot, that by thy wondrous power 
thou hast, in all time, possessed the hearts of Christians with a 
mad fury, so that they have slaughtered more than seventy 
millions of men, women, and children, since the dawn of the 
present era. Remember, O Prince of Brimstone, that when thou 
stretchest forth thine arm, the Christian's God cannot stand be- 
fore thee for a moment. Therefore we beseech thee to stand by 
us on this occasion. Bless thy servant in his labors before thee. 
Fill his mouth with words of wisdom. Enable him to defend 
thee from the false charges about to be made against thy Sul- 
phurous Majesty, and to triumph by truth and logic over his 
opponent, so that this audience may realize that thou art a 
prayer-hearing and prayer-answering Devil. Finally, when he 
has done and suffered thy will on this earth, receive him gra- 
ciously into thy warm dominions, assign him plenty of brim- 
stone, turn him often with thy fork, and roast him eternally. 
And thine shall be the kingdom, the power, and the glory, 
worlds without end. Serenely thine, 

The Old Professor. 

Of course, the reader has concluded that Prof. Cha- 
ney does not believe in the existence of the party he so 
eloquently and fervently addresses ; but unbelief taken 
as a fact, proves ignorance ; taken as a theory, it proves 
nothing ; taken as a result, it may prove one or more 
of the many conditions between dire calamity as a 
curse, and the highest enjoyment as a blessing; hence, 
it is possible that the Devil exists, despite the unbelief 
of our distinguished prayer-maker. But whether he 
does and will exist as taught by many, whose theories 
the Professor has so aptly burlesqued, is a very impor- 
tant question, and will be noticed elsewhere. 

It is not claimed that this petition or prayer is any 
part of religion, and it has only one-half of the requisite 
elements of religious prayer, and one-half of those — 
the being addressed — is the admitted chief opposer of 



78 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

all religion ! We think it a success for what it was in- 
tended — an Anti-Theological Bombast, with a single 
proposition as a reason for its perpetration, viz. : The 
doctrine of eternal misery! 

Strong evidence has already been offered to prove 
that Spiritualism is not religion; it is not even claimed 
to be by many of its adherents, lecturers, and journals, 
as we have already shown. 

In referring to a proposed " Spiritual Church " in San 
Francisco, the Banner of Light says : u It seems 
strange to us that the Spiritualists anywhere should 
hang on to the church, of which institution it is en- 
tirely independent." This,, also, is consistent, per se. 

Now, if Spiritualism is not religion, but Philosophy, 
and teaching, as it does, individuality, without account- 
ability, and progression after death, then, surely, there 
is no need of invocations, and we can see some consist- 
ency in the following remarks by a writer in the 
Banner of Light, Aug. 8, 1868 : 

"It is just as sensible to pray to the ocean, or to the 
sun, as it is to the Jewish i Unknown ' Jehovah, or the 
Christian God. Nature justifies a ' faith' in no such 
abortion. The whole system of modern theology is 
based on the speculative idea of a personal God. But 
my God is more real and tangible. I can see it in the 
clouds, and hear it in the wind .... People with shallow 
brains are so apt to get mad when they hear a free 
thinker speak irreverently of the great overgrown boss 
of the universe. Seriously, what a person believes in, 
reference to the great Idol is of no benefit to me." — . 
Comments are needless. 

A remarkable fact touching the way of salvation is, 
the union, or one-ness of purpose — Two Persons (only), 
and a revealed word (the Bible), with the Holy Spirit 
(influence), given by one (God, the Father) to the 
other (Christ, the Son), hence, common to both, and 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 79 

acting in perfect harmony, making for man a model 
character, if he will but accept the conditions. And 
the crowning grandeur of the scheme is, that God has 
promised to honor such a character with eternal life in 
glory ! 

We respectfully ask Honest Skeptic to copy the above 
paragraph in his note-book, and criticise it kindly and 
very often, in the light of actual facts, experience, and 
observation. It is, perhaps, not too much to say that 
it is a very comprehensive statement of the Bible plan 
of religion. To those who reject it because they 
suppose it teaches that " eternal misery " will be the 
final retribution of the sinner, we say that if they were 
forced to produce one plain text to prove the desper- 
ately horrid theory, or be hung by the neck " until they 
were dead," their lives would surely pay the forfeit, as 
there is no avenue by which they could escape ! 

Very many such persons, though quite skeptical, are, 
also, quite honest in being so, and are well represented 
by Honest Skeptic. They revolt at such teachings and 
drop into the half-way house of " Doubting Castle" 
from which a day's journey with "No Accountability " 
guides, at once lands them into Spiritualism. They will 
be astonished to learn, as they will by following this 
lead, that in order to avoid any possibility for man to 
become eternally miserable, God set an unexampled 
strong guard around the " Tree of Life " after he had 
sinned, thus decreeing death for him, for his disobedi- 
ence, rather than eternal misery. And was he beaten 
by the enemy, who impudently declared natural immor- 
tality for man by saying, " Ye shall NOT surely die ? " 
Ah ! note the silent but all-convincing negative which 
is forcibly suggested by the sight of every grave which 
you approach ! 

" Now, if this be true," replies Honest Skeptic, with 
much earnestness, " we have a much better God, as well 



80 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

as a better Bible than we have been taught to believer 
This was our own experience many years ago. 

We have now accounted for many skeptics, one-half 
of whom perhaps are known as Spiritualists, because 
they have seen real phenomena, and have treated the 
fact in the same manner that they did the eternal mis- 
ery question, to wit : they have not taken the pains to 
investigate the subject candidly and closely, so they 
have drifted into the first easy-going current without 
duly considering where it will lead them. 

With these thoughts and facts we will proceed to offer 
evidence that Spiritualism denies the Bible and all re- 
ligion. This principle was incidentally brought out 
while reviewing prayers, and the question of " God in 
the Constitution," as previous pages will show. 

The following resolution was passed by the State 
Convention of Spiritualists held in Plymouth, Mass., 
in September, 1871 : 

Resolved, That the use of the Bible in the Public Schools 
should be discountenanced by all friends of human progress. 

The foregoing resolution may sound worse to many 
persons on the first reading, than it really is. We think 
that Spiritualists do not object so much to the use of 
the Bible in schools, as such, as to religio-political power 
which might result from sectarian strife, should it be 
an outcome from its use. They believe that education, 
per se, is secular in its nature, and that in this country 
it should be sufficiently American to prevent national 
disintegration or transformation, which is undoubtedly 
correct. Nevertheless, if secular education be made a 
success in a civilized country through its schools and 
colleges, it cannot, practically, ignore the Bible any 
more than our National Constitution and By-Laws could 
have achieved the success which we boast of, had there 
been, virtually, " no God " in it. Let us illustrate : 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 81 

A school-teacher is employed under a strict No-Bible 
rule, and selects his books to carry to the school-room, 
where he will meet the little folks and some who are 
larger, who may study them. But there is one book 
among the number which he must leave behind. It is 
a well-made book, clear type, linen paper, gilt edge, 
gold clasp ; in short, it is a handsome book, but it is 
" not fit " to use in school, although he has studied it. 
much and to his advantage. 

It does not teach how to spell, nor how to cypher on 
the slate; and we admit that it does not in a specinl 
manner teach grammar or punctuation. Nor does it 
treat on geography, astronomy, or geology ; neverthe- 
less, it does not conflict with any true science known 
to man. 

Here some reader may ask if those extrinsic negatives 
constitute the objection to the book in question ? We 
answer, No ; but the intrinsic positives — those principles 
which are embraced in the theory of true religion, thus 
constituting its theology — are objected to, by Bible 
opposers. However, since the fact remains that this 
religion has always triumphed when tested in the 
presence of other systems, we think it worth the while 
to notice some of the teachings of this contraband 
book. Let us do it in a practical kind of a way, and 
thus find the real " unfitness " (?) of the offensive work 
in question. 

Now the teacher, of whom we spoke, arrives at the 
school-room and at once examines the books which are 
to be used during the term, and by which he must be 
governed in matters of principle while conducting its 
affairs. It is a public school, and parents have sent 
their children, large and small, for the purpose of 
receiving education. The majority of them, of course, 
belong to those families who esteem themselves good 
because they reject the Bible, claiming their action to 



82 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

be in the interest of " human progress ! " Such chil- 
dren, therefore, have not been under the influence of 
the " bad " book which has fallen into the hands of 
families to which the other class belong, and who have 
learned good manners from it : so there are two classes 
in the school. The former or larger class have been 
taught " individuality," i. e., " my notions are potent, 
and patent to me : " while the latter class have not been 
so taught. This, also, makes the situation look more 
interesting and less pleasing when success is desired. 

Now a window opens and the large old school-bell is 
vigorously shaken by the teacher, which is understood 
to be a signal for all to appear in the school-room at 
once ! It is a new thing to many, and the most of 
them heed the call and hurry to the room ; but the 
rest ar$ not much interested in the matter as yet. 
By scores this assemblage of the " Young America" 
element crowd into the presence of our friend, the 
teacher ; their manners are but a result of the impulse 
of a moment, except a few whose mothers had trained 
them a little from the teachings of the " bad " book ; 
so, amid merry shouts and peals of laughter, mingled 
with angry yells and half-in-earnest knock-downs, they 
are kindly asked to " come to order and be seated." 

By taunts and jeers the teacher is reminded that 
good order is very necessary and desirable, yet it can- 
not be obtained, for he can only enforce what the books 
teach ; and order, morally, is radical in, and, per force, 
patented to the contraband book in which the idea of 
order stands out so as to be akin to eloquence in the 
very first chapter which appears on its pages. We 
may notice it. 

Briefly stated, all the worlds and wonders of which 
we have knowledge, were to be made, as their exist- 
ences prove ; and the more important of these were, 
light, atmosphere, land, water, planets, fish and animals. 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 83 

and, lastly, man ! And see ! creatures having eyes 
were not created before light was made ; fish were not 
made before water was formed ; neither animals nor 
man were made before a life-giving vapor, or gas, 
called atmosphere enveloped the earth, thus affording 
them the " breath of life ! " 

Again : they were not made until land appeared 
whereon they could stand and pluck food from plants 
growing out of it ! Indeed, God's creatures were not 
made until everything adapted to their needs was 
brought into existence. Altogether, the entire work of 
Creation discovers to us a perfect example of order in the 
arrangement of physical things. Jesus, too, observed 
order, for when He fed the multitude, He seated them 
" by hundreds, and by fifties, on the grass." Mark 6 : 
40. Paul also taught the people to " Let all things be 
done decently, and in order." 1 Cor. 14 : 40. 

Our teacher begins to realize the error of consenting 
to keep school on straight infidel principles, but waits 
for an idea, when this comes to his mind : 

" Train up a child in the way he should go, and 
when he is old he will not depart from it." Prov. 22 : 6. 

Again : 

" Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days 
may be long in the land which the Lord thy God 
giveth thee." Ex. 20 : 12. 

Teacher now soliloquizes thus : 

" The second injunction, if received by the children, 
would make them respectful to their teacher as well, 
so that they might be ' trained in the way they should 
go ; ' but here I am debarred from doing them good be- 
cause the principles necessary to make conditions fa- 
vorable for it are not in the books which I must use. 
They are taught by their author in the Book which I 
was not allowed to take into the school ! This is indeed 
perplexing. If I try to get the attention of this rest- 



84 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

less, boisterous crowd of youths by telling them of 
stone and wooden gods of various forms, who will pun- 
ish them for their wrong-doing, they will ridicule and 
call me a fool ! If I tell them that Nature is their 
god, some will say, 'Nature dont know nothin — got no 
brains ! ' 

" I cannot tell' them of God, who formed man of the 
elements of the earth, for that is the teaching of the 
' forbidden ' Book ! If I get their attention so as to tell 
them there is no God outside of themselves to obey or 
worship, which doctrine is taught by Spiritualism, 
many would accept it, and perhaps one would ratify 
the notion by wrenching off a desk cover and throwing 
it at me for keeping them so long ! Even for such a 
murderous assault I could not have the privilege of re- 
proving them and quoting authority for it, because it 
must come from that same ' contraband ' Book ; i. e. y 
the Bible, deemed by Spiritualists to be unfit for use in 
public schools. It says : * Thou shalt not kill.' Ex. 
20 : 13 and Matt. 19 : 18. 

" Oh, what a racket ! Confusion is being confounded! 
I must do something ! Perhaps they will read from 
these new reading- books." 

Here the teacher hands out his reading-books, and 
requests the older scholars to read. Just as he is about 
to say, " Stand up and read," it occurs to him that it 
will not " answer the contract," for that was taught by 
the example of the most notable Teacher in history. 
It is said of Him, that when in a public assembly, in a 
Jewish synagogue, He "stood up for to read," and 
when He had read He " closed the book . . . and sat 
down." Luke 4 : 16. 

Of course this could not be allowed, because forbid- 
den by special order, and also by contract ; hence those 
who feel like reading choose their own attitude, as they 
have their own ideas of order, or, rather, disorder. 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 85 

One sits at his desk, and another stands upon his ; 
while a third sits on one, with his feet on another 
desk ! Some crouch on the floor, and some sit and 
rock on their feet ! 

Among those inclined to stand up to read is one 
ill-mannered clown who persists in standing to read 
with his back toward the teacher, who, amid the noise 
of those children of " progress," would fain argue the 
points contained in the "Golden Rule "with the of- 
fending young man, but is again confronted with the 
fact that it was a part of the first gospel sermon, and, 
therefore, a part of the Bible, Matt. 7 : 12, hence must 
not be used ! Another chance for doing good is lost. 

Trying to forecast the how of the inevitable collapse 
of this infidel farce, teacher turns him round just in 
time to see a large-sized urchin stealing his gloves from 
his desk ! " Still another chance for a moral discourse," 
he says to himself, as he takes his gloves ; but alas ! he 
must take his text from the Bible, which says : " Thou 
shalt not steal." Ex. 20 : 15, and Matt. 19 : 18. 
This, also, being contraband education he must hold 
his peace ! 

Now, nearly disgusted with human nature and 
dismayed at the situation, he ponders it a moment only 
to look up and discover the ring-leader of these young 
anarchists sitting astride of his handsome desk, carv- 
ing the latest design of toboggan in its shining cover 
with a Yankee jack-knife ! 

With patience strained almost to the parting point, 
the teacher begins to remonstrate with the lawless 
sculptor (?), when whiz-z-z-z-chuck ! and a reading-book 
swiftly thrown hits teacher on his face and reduces his 
glasses to angular pieces, suitable for the inside of a toy 
kaleidoscope, minus the colors ! 

Half stunned, heart-sick, and with bruised face, the 
good man, under fire of missiles and many insults, 



86 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

succeeds in escaping from the physical and moral 
results of immoral teachings based on the hypothesis 
of no Bible, and, as a consequence, no manners but ill 
manners. It is no wonder they deny a personal God ! 

If any of our readers think our pen picture illustra- 
tion is an unpleasant image of strained ideas, they are 
welcome to so much real comfort as they can gather 
from the assurance that it is not equal to the reality 
under such rule, as family and national history has 
proved. 

Taking for granted that principles which would 
demoralize a school would also materially injure the 
community which supported it, if accepted, we will now 
present the leading precepts and injunctions which, 
under the resolution (or problem) in question, would 
be entirely ignored, because, being radical doctrines of 
the Bible, they must not be copied or used. Perhaps a 
satisfactory solution may be found, and if so, how many 
. will sacrifice the following principles ? 

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the 
earth." Gen. 1 : 1. 

"God is in heaven, and thou upon earth." Eccl. 
5:2. 

" The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, 
and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for 
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, 
and that will by no means clear the guilty." Ex. 34 : 
6,7. 

These three quotations are very comprehensive. 
The first is the first sentence in the Bible, and 
mentions God as being the Creator. The second 
mentions His dwelling-place, while the third informs 
us of His character. He made laws for man from 
time to time, with " types and shadows," many of which 
were intended to end with the appearing of His Son 
Jesus Christ, while others were to be in force through 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 87 

all Jewish history, and also through Gentile times. 
This is seen in the fact that Christ quoted them and en- 
joined them upon His followers. Of Him it is written that 

" When the fulness of the time was come, God sent 
forth His Son, born [New Revision] of a woman, born 
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, 
that we might receive the adoption of sons . . . and if 
sons, then heirs of God, through Christ." Gal. 4 : 4-7. 

This brings us to the Gospel day, or Gentile times — 
our day — the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour, 
Jesus Christ, from which we quote the following gen- 
eral PRECEPTS : 

" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, 
and with all thy mind ; and thy neighbor as thyself. 
Luke 10 : 27. 

" Do not commit adultery. Mark 10 : 19. 

"Do not kill. Mark 10 : 19. 

" Do not steal. Mark 10 : 19. 

" Do not bear false witness. Mark 10 : 19. 

"Defraud not. Mark 10 : 19. 

" Honour thy father and mother. Mark 10 : 19. 

"All things whatsoever ye would that men should 
do to you, do ye even so to them. Matt. 7 : 12." 

The following particular precepts are directed to 
certain classes of individuals, and are called " sound 
doctrine " by the apostle Paul, who submitted the same 
to Titus for special delivery to them, while they were 
recorded for us to study and practise. He begins by 
teaching that : 

" The aged men be vigilant [see margin], grave, tem- 
perate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. Titus 2 : 2. 

" The aged women likewise, that they be in behav- 
ior as becometh holy women [see margin], not false ac- 
cusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. 
Titus 2 : 3. 



88 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

" Young men likewise exhort to be discreet [see mar- 
gin]. Titus 2: 6. 

" Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own mas- 
ters, and to please them well in all things ; not answer- 
ing again ; not purloining, but showing all good fidel- 
ity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God, our 
Saviour, in all things. Titus 2 : 9, 10. 

" Masters, give unto your servants that which is just 
and equal, knowing that ye also have a Master in 
heaven. Col. 4:1. 

" Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved 
the Church, and gave Himself for it : so ought men to 
love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth 
his wife, loveth himself. Let every one of you in par- 
ticular so love his wife even as himself. Eph. 5 : 25, 
28, 33. 

" Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, 
as it is fit in the Lord ; for the husband is the head of 
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church : and 
He is the Saviour of the body [His church — Author] ; 
therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let 
the wives be in every thing : . . . and the wife see that 
she reverence her husband. Col. 3:18; Eph. 5 : 22, 
23, 33. 

" Children, obey your parents in all things ; for this 
is well pleasing unto the Lord. 

" Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest 
they be discouraged. Col. 3 : 20, 21." 

Bishops and Ministers, Pastors, Elders and Teach- 
ers, come also in the category, and are not omitted by 
that able teacher, Paul, who, when he had made Titus 
Bishop in Crete, wrote him thus : 

" A bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God, 
not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no 
striker, not given to filthy lucre ; but a lover of hospital- 
ity, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, hold- 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 89 

ing fast the faithful word in teaching [see margin], that 
he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to 
convince the gainsayers. In all things shew thyself a 
pattern of good works : in doctrine shewing uncorrupt- 
ness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be 
condemned ; that he that is of the contrary part may 
be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Ti- 
tus 1 : 7, 8, 9, and Chap. 2 : 7, 8. 

There remains another class to be noticed, and 
though it is second to none in social and moral impor- 
tance, unless it be the last one noticed, yet the author 
has never seen or heard it quoted as such in any dis- 
course on religious topics, and many students will say 
that it is new to them in its application. It is none 
other than the " muchly " joked and much-abused 
mother-in-law ! That her influence is a great factor in 
shaping the course and conduct, and hence the happi- 
ness, of the young family with whom she dwells, is 
well known. In order to promote happiness, Paul 
says the duties of mothers-in-law are 

" That they [the older women, in verse 3] teach the 
young women to be wise [see margin], to love their hus- 
bands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, 
keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, 
that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2 : 

This systematic compendium of Bible precepts, indi- 
vidually applicable to ten or more of the principal un- 
avoidable positions and stations in life, is original with 
the author, who believes it to be valuable as an easy 
reference in the family circle. 

Our objective point in this connection is, to show 
every well-disposed person who has read the foregoing 
compend that the principles therein expressed and im- 
plied will, if accepted and practised, produce the very 
best class of human society of which the noblest mind 



90 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

can conceive ! The simple reading of them produces 
a delight which encourages and brightens hope, if based 
upon them. 

Now we earnestly ask if you will throw away such 
a class of principles — deliberately rule them out of your 
families — when you know there is no way to duplicate 
them, and that any attempt to imitate them would be 
detected as readily as a fourth rate counterfeit bank 
note? 

As well might a pilot put out to sea in a dense fog 
without a compass, choosing to sail by his chart alone, 
as for a man to try to sail over life's sea without the 
Bible ! And we are glad to see that Honest Skeptic is 
now more than pleased with the presentation of Bible 
teachings and requirements, admitting, as he does, that 
they are . " excellent in character and reasonable in de- 
mand ;" and that the world would be a sad, living pic- 
ture, if they were taken from it. But a seeming dis- 
crepancy troubles him, and he wishes to know how to 
understand the injunctions given to "children" and to 
" servants " to obey in all things — the term, all, being 
very sweeping in a radical sense. True, but the con- 
text, or connections with the text, if not the text itself, 
decides it to be limited to good things, for such is the 
object and drift of the precepts given. Candid Reader 
understands this and has profited by it. 

Again, the counsel to wives to " be obedient to their 
own husbands" is wholesome advice, "as it is fit in 
the Lord." What an excellent limitation, or modifier 
of a wife's deportment, and how remarkable the fact 
that 

She is a better wife 

All the days of her life 

for having so closely observed the teaching of those few 
monosyllables as to reflect their virtues and loveliness 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 91 

upon the pathway of her husband ! Her death will be 
lamented ; and, verily, " her children will rise up and 
call her blessed ! " 

If such an one be commanded to do a questionable 
act, she can soon become certain in her own mind 
whether it is " fit in the Lord " by consulting gospel 
rules made and provided, and so be able to act under- 
standingly. 

Once again : If our friend Honest Skeptic should 
come suddenly upon Paul's directions to Titus, chap. 3, 
verses 1, 2, where he charges him to a put them in 
mind ... to obey magistrates ..." and the same 
question arises — that is, whether one should, if a disci- 
ple or Christian, be obliged to obey any order that a 
magistrate might see fit to impose upon him, we have a 
ready answer to that, and it will answer others as well. 

We learn in the fifth chapter of Acts that the apos- 
tles had been "straitly commanded" by the High 
Priest and the Captain of the Temple at Jerusalem not 
to teach in the name of Christ. But the angel of the 
Lord commanded them to "teach," which they did, 
and for which they were arrested and brought before 
the Council and questioned by the High Priest. Then 
Peter and the other apostles answered and said, u We 
ought to obey God, rather than men!' (Twenty-ninth 
verse.) 

This is explicit, being not only precept, but exam- 
ple to fit it, and the fitness is simple and complete, in 
the family or in the school ! 

In the Philadelphia Record, Sept. 7, 1885, may be 
found a report of the closing scenes and sessions of the 
Spiritualist Camp-meeting at Neshaminy Falls, Pa., 
which occurred on the 6th inst. 

Mr. J. Clegg Wright, who is a prominent lecturer, 
made the farewell speech. The Record reports him 
thus : 



92 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

The services were opened by singing " There's a land that is 
fairer than day," and after the usual preliminaries the audience 
was informed that the " control " of J. Clegg Wright would ad- 
dress it. The " control " then delivered the farewell speech of 
the season, exalting the " religion and science of Spiritualism," 
and declaring that " all the old superstitions were fading away 
before the advancing light of modern Spiritualism." The ad- 
dress was as iconoclastic as the most ardent radical could 
desire. 

" The greatest wrongs that have afflicted the world," he said, 
" have been nurtured in superstition and supported by the au- 
thority of God. The civilization founded on Monotheism is a 
dying civilization. I shall rejoice to see that God-inspired Bi- 
ble go down into the jaws of death, for when it goes down it 
will be because it has done its work. There is constant prog- 
ress in the universe, and we have no use for any perfect being 
or perfect thing." 

The intimation that religion is either a factor or a 
result of Spiritualism cannot atone for the persecuting 
spirit characterizing the address, while it rejects the 
Bible and blasphemes its author with impunity and 
unprovoked impudence, the last sentence virtually de- 
claring that we have no use for God ! ! This is so sug- 
gestive of the social and moral state of things during 
the French Revolution, when such doctrines prevailed, 
that we think there would be a missing link in our 
chain of evidence and argument should we omit to give 
a few extracts from history on that awful subject. 

" Faber on the Prophecies," vol. 3, p. 363, says : 

On the memorable 26th of August, in the year 1792, an open 
profession of Atheism, irreligion and Infidelity was made, and 
forthwith acted upon, by a whole nation once devoted to the 
Papal superstitions. Christianity was then formally abolished 
as a notorious and malignant imposture by the government of 
revolutionary France, and so well did the people second them, 
that, while not a trace of the gospel could be found throughout 
the reprobate metropolis, every frantic oration in praise of 
Atheism was loudly and enthusiastically applauded." 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 93 

The following is from Smith's " Key to Revelation," 
as quoted by Brewer and Decker : 

The Terrible Republic — the name they assumed before 
they became an empire — having by public authority denied 
God, and the Christian religion, were prepared to patronize 
any and every enormity : the burning of the Bible in a 
public place ; the parading of the sacramental vessels 
through the streets on an ass in contempt; posting in their 
places of burial " death is an eternal sleep ; " abolishing the 
Sabbath, and shutting up the houses of God ; declaring Christ 
an impostor — the Gospel a forgery ; and swearing to extirpate 
Christianity from the world ; assuring the public as follows : 
" Man, when free, wants no other divinity than himself." 

Reason dethrones both the kings of earth and the king 
of heaven. No monarchy above, if we wish to preserve our 
Republic below. Every other than a republic of Atheism is 
a chimera. If you admit the existence of a heavenly 
sovereign, you introduce the wooden horse ; what you adore 
by day will be your ruin by night. 

The following extract (as quoted by Rev. S. S. 
Brewer) from Dr. Croly, an eminent British writer on 
the French Revolution, will be found intensely in- 
teresting to those who have never read or have forgot- 
ten the history. It graphically portrays the awful 
condition of society without the Bible ! He says : 

The spirit which had filled and tortured every limb of France 
with rebellion to man, now [1793] put forth a fierce malice, and 

BLASPHEMED. HOSTILITY WAS DECLARED AGAINST ALL THAT BORE 

the name of religion. By an act of which history, in all its 
depths and recesses of national guilt, had never an example — 
a crime too blind for the blindest ages of barbarism, and too 
atrocious for the hottest corruptions of the Pagan world, France, 
the leader of civilized Europe, publicly pronounced that there 
was no God ! 

The decree was rapidly followed by every measure which could 
make the blasphemy practical and national. The municipality 
of Paris, the virtual government, proclaimed that as they had 
deified earthly monarchy, " would now dethrone the monarchy 
of Heaven." On the 7th of November, 1793, Gobet, the Bishop 
of Paris, attended by his vicars-general, entered the hall of the 
legislature, tore off his ecclesiastical robes, and abjured Chris- 



94 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

tianity, declaring that the only religion thenceforth should be 
the religion of Liberty, Equality and Morality. His language 
was echoed with acclamation. A still more consummate blas- 
phemy was to follow; within a few days the municipality 
presented a veiled female to the assembly as the " Goddess of 
reason," with the fearful words, "there is no God;" "the 
worship of Reason shall exist in its stead." The assembly 
bowed before her and worshipped ! She was then borne in 
triumph to the Cathedral of Paris, placed on the high altar and 
worshipped by the public authorities and people ! ! The name 
of the Cathedral was thenceforth the Temple of Reason. 

Atheism was enthroned ; treason to the majesty of God had 
reached its height ; no more gigantic insult could be hurled 
against Heaven. But persecution still had its work ; all the 
churches of the republic were closed ; all rights of religion were 
forbidden ; baptism and communion were to be administered 
no more ; the seventh day was to be no longer sacred, but a 
tenth was substituted, and on that day a public orator was 
appointed to read a discourse on " the wisdom of Atheism ! " 
The reign qf the demon was now restless. While Voltaire and 
Marat (infidelity and massacre personified) were raised to the 
honors of idolatry, the tombs of the kings, warriors and states- 
men of France were torn open, and the relics of men whose 
names were a national glory tossed about in the licentious sport 
of the populace. Immortality was publicly pronounced a 
dream, and on the gates of the cemeteries was written, " death 
is an eternal sleep ! " In this general outburst of frenzy, all 
the forms and feelings of religion, true or false, were alike 
trodden under foot of the multitude: the Scriptures, the lamps 
of the holy place, had fallen in the general fall of the Temple ; 
but they were not without their peculiar indignity; the copies 
of the Bible were publicly insulted ; they were contemptuously 
burned in the havoc of the religious libraries ! 

In Lyons, the capital of the South, where Protestantism had 
once erected her especial church, and where still a remnant 
worshipped in its ruins, an ass was actually made to drink 

WINE OUT OF THE COMMUNION CUP, AND WAS AFTERWARDS LED IN 
PUBLIC PROCESSION THROUGH THE STREETS, DRAGGING THE BlBLE 

at its heels ! ! The example of these horrors stimulated the 
daring of infidelity in every part of the continent. France, 
always modelling the mind of Europe, now still more power- 
fully impressed her image, while every nation was beginning 
to glow with fires like her own. 

Again, Dr. Croly says : 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 95 

A very remarkable and prophetic distinction of this period 
was the spirit of frenzied festivity which seized upon France. 
The capital and all the republican towns were the scene of feasts, 
processions, and shows of the most extravagant kind : the most 
festive times of peace, under the most expensive kings, were 
thrown into the shade by the frequency, variety, and extent of 
the republican exhibitions ; yet this was a time of perpetual 
miseries throughout France : The guillotine was bloody 
from morn till night. In the single month of July, 1794, 
nearly eight hundred persons, the majority being principal in- 
dividuals of the state, and all possessing some respectability of 
station, were guillotined in Paris ! ! 

The reader's imagination must be his commentator 
on this historical extract. We may remark, however, 
that this terrible work was unchristian in its character 
and cruel in its operation, for it made no distinction in 
sects or beliefs ; but laid all on the altar of human 
sacrifice as their savage ambition suggested. The sys- 
tem violated Bible teachings and trailed all of them in 
the dust, as will be seen by consulting a work published 
by Dr. Coke, LL. D., in 1807, and quoted by Brewer 
and Decker. From them we learn that that Anti- 
God AND No-BlBLE RULE " BURNED ONE THOUSAND EIGHT 
HUNDRED AND TWENTY TOWNS, VILLAGES, AND HAMLETS IN 
ONE PORTION OF ITS TERRITORY — ASSASSINATED WOMEN AND 
CHILDREN BY THOUSANDS — POLLUTED FEMALE VICTIMS WHILE 
IN THE AGONIES OF DEATH, AND ESTABLISHED A TAN-YARD 
UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR MANUFAC- 
TURING INTO LEATHER THE SKINS OF ITS MURDERED CITI- 
ZENS — facts and deeds of atrocity which exclusively 
disgrace the bloody annals of modern France, and give 
to the revolution a dreadful pre-eminence in guilt ! ! " 

It cannot be said that the Bible and religion did this 
infernal work— IT WAS DONE IN ITS ABSENCE. 

The letter and spirit of the Bible, however, finally 
found recognition in the heart of poor infidel France 
after a few years of practice in human slaughter, 



96 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

wherein, according to an account before us, more than 
One Million of French citizens were murdered ! ! 

A radical change of moral sentiment occurred, and 
full toleration was given to all classes and religious 
creeds, thus reinstating the Scriptures to their proper 
dignity and usefulness ! Now blood stops flowing in 
the land and the guillotine is at rest ! ! How great the 
contrast to the days when the Sacred Oracles were 
mocked by the mob and dragged through the streets 
attached to the tail of an ass ! 

In view of the terrible facts given, we exclaim : Oh, 

WHAT TELLING COMMENTS ON THE MORAL AND SOCIAL VALUE 

of the Bible ! With it, everything is gained ; without 
it, all is LOST ! 

Mr. Wright's assertion that " we have no use for any 
perfect being or thing " reminds us of a remark made 
in a store on Arch street, Camden, N. J., by a young 
man, the son of a Spiritualist, who, when we spoke of 
the Almighty, said: "God airit no good any more' 9 
We have not learned that the assertion is correct, 
hence we trust Him now as ever, and are reminded that 
" while the old rooster crows the young ones learn." 
The French found such sentiments to be costly and 
very painful, as already shown. 

The following is that part of our discussion of Spirit- 
ualism with Mrs. Laura Cuppy Smith, of San Francisco, 
Cal., in Lynn, Mass., which is pertinent to the argu- 
ment upon the topic before us. In her first speech on 
the first evening of the debate, Mrs. Smith said : " I 
believe in Spiritualism, and I believe it can be proved 
by the Bible." On the second evening in her second 
speech she said : " I have got tired of hearing so much 
Bible argument ; I had rather hear something running 
into the sciences and metaphysics." 

We then offered a clear, logical argument, remarking 
that we would drop the Bible for the present and com- 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 97 

ply with her wishes, thus making it an outside argu- 
ment, and which will be noticed in another place. It 
was not original with the writer, but it was effectual, 
for Mrs. Smith did not answer it, nor has it been an- 
swered by others. She did, however, see fit to deny 
the Bible, and denied the God of whom it treats and 
claims as its author — denied Christ as a Saviour, and 
called Him a bastard before the audience ! ! Of a truth 
there is nothing in such radical rantings that pertains 
to, or even suggests, religion. The eloquence of our 
fair opponent was admired, but such sentiments were 
detested by many. 

Mr. A. C. Robinson, of Lynn — himself a lecturer on 
Spiritualism — was chairman of the Discussion, and his 
fairness and kindness were noted. He published a brief 
report of the same in the Lynn Reporter, June 21, 1873,, 
which is as follows : 

On Tuesday evening of last week, a large audience assembled 
at Pinkham's Hall, to hear the Discussion between Rev. J. H. 
Dadmun, of this city, and Mrs. Laura Cuppy Smith, of San 
Francisco, CaL, on the following assertion : — 

''''Resolved, That the phenomena and philosophy of Modern 
Spiritualism are directed and taught by evil angels, or demons." 

The affirmative was taken by Mr. Dadmun, the negative by 
Mrs. Smith. Each disputant spoke three times, occupying 
twenty minutes each time. The Discussion was listened to with 
intense interest, and was continued on the Thursday and Friday 
evenings following. 

There are those who readily adopt the above proposi- 
tion, but cannot hold it in argument, because their 
premises are based on false theology, as will be seen 
further on. We continue our argument on this line. 

It was on a beautiful afternoon in the summer of 
1869, when the author attended a discourse on Spirit- 
ualism which was delivered in a grove at Mil ford, N. H., 
by William White, who then published the Banner of 



98 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Light. He stood upon a rock — a large boulder, which 
made a fine rostrum for the occasion, while surrounding 
trees spread their waving branches gracefully over 
and near the head of the speaker— a beautiful scene, 
truly. 

Here, he discoursed clear Spiritualism : he did not 
try to reconcile it with the Bible — did not attempt to 
prove it by the Bible, or even have one in his hand, as 
many have done, but who, when confronted with its 
teachings, felt compelled to drop it, or give up their 
Philosophy. Mr. White was, at least, consistent with 
his position. 

True, the lecturer might have quoted from Bible 
history the sayings of others, and particularly Gen. 3 : 
4, "Ye shall not surely die," which, IF TRUE, would 
lay a foundation for Spiritualism, which, when consid- 
ered with its phenomena, could not by any amount of 
logic, or sophistry, known to the human mind, be 
ripped up, disrupted, or even dismantled ! And yet, 
if he had quoted the text as authority from the Bible 
to prove Spiritualism, he would have lost favor with 
his audience, for the Bible readers who were present 
knew that it was said by Satan in his masterly attempt 
to deceive the whole human family, and which he did 
do, through mediumship, according to the account; 
hence, they would have no confidence in him, and 
would also doubt if others did, even if they had read 
Prof. Chaney's remarkable prayer ! 

Again, Spiritualists would not accept it, because 
Spiritualism utterly ignores and scouts any and all ideas 
of the existence of such a party ! But the speaker 
did say as he pointed to the branches above his head, 
"The leaves on the trees are more truthful and instruc- 
tive than are the leaves of the Bible." This, too, though 
consistent with his position, is not religion. 

Mr. White's inconsistency was apparent when he 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 99 

adopted precepts and principles that came directly or 
indirectly from the Bible which he had disclaimed, and 
also defamed. Further on, he said : " The teachings in 
our Sunday-schools are among the worst teachings in the 
land." By this he evidently referred to the dogma of 
eternal misery as a monstrous idea, per se, rather than 
to the system as a whole. Of this dogma, we say that 
it is a handle well fitted to Satan's old saw — " Ye shall 
not surely die" — and not to the Bible, seeing that Book 
teaches nothing of the kind ; therefore it is not the 
Christian Religion, but, rather a hideous parasite upon 
it. The Bible teaches everlasting punishment — "the 
second death" Rev. 21 : 8 — but not everlasting misery. 
The following colloquy will show the error and in- 
consistency of Mr. White's position. We clipped it 
long ago, but it has not lost its freshness or force. We 
give a reprint : 

IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD ? — AN UNANSWERABLE ARGUMENT. 

" The Bible the word of God? No ! " exclaims a thoughtless 
young skeptic ; " it is the invention of men." 

" But the Bible claims to be the word of God, does it not ? " 

" Yes ; the men who wrote it pretend that they ' spake as they 
were moved by the Holy Ghost ; ' and they tell us that what 
they said was a ' Thus saith the Lord.' But that was only a 
cunning deception, in order to make men the more readily be- 
lieve it." 

" If the Bible, then, is not what it claims to be, it is an im- 
posture, you think ; and its ' inventors ' are deceivers and 
liars ? " 

" Exactly." 

" But good men would not lie and deceive, would they ? " 

" Of course not." 

14 Then the Bible, you are sure, is not the ' invention ' of good 
men?" 

" How could they be good men, if they * invented ' it them- 
selves, and then pretended that its author was God f " 

" And, if it is not the invention of good men, then it must be 
the invention of bad men? 

" Undoubtedly." 



100 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

" Now, answer me candidly — Are liars and religious impos- 
tors bad men ? " 

" Certainly." 

" Does the Bible forbid lying and imposture, and threaten 
liars and impostors with punishment ? " 

" It does, repeatedly and unmistakably." 

" Does it declare that Ananias and Sapphira, for lying,' were 
struck dead? Does it denounce and condemn i false prophets,' 
who 'speak deceit in the name of the Lord?' Does it teach that 
1 whosoever loveth and maketh a lie ' shall be shut out of the 
kingdom of heaven ; and that i all liars ' shall perish in ' the lake 
of fire?'" 

" It does." 

"And is it credible that false and lying prophets would ' invent ' a 
book which, more than any other, denounces liars and false prophets, 
and condemns themselves to everlasting punishment f " 

" It is, certainly, most incredible." 

"And can a book which does all this be the ' invention ' of 
bad men and impostors f " 

" I must confess, it is not easy to see how it can." 

" If then, as you admit, it can not be the * invention ' of bad 
men — because they would not have made it condemn them- 
selves ; nor of good men — because they could not be guilty of 
imposture ; who else can be its author but God ? And if it is 
God's Book, why not believe it, and obey it? " 

William B. Herron, in The Young Pilgrim. 

Now, Honest Skeptic, it is quite probable that after 
scanning so many articles and quotations which we 
have carefully selected and presented with comments 
and arguments, you have become satisfied that Spir- 
itualism is not only not a religion, but is a denial of 
all religion! Do you still entertain a doubt? Then 
a double-shotted cartridge discharged from an old siege 
gun which was mounted on the bulwarks of Spiritual 
ism in 1868, will dispel it quicker than the king of 
day would dissipate a fog on a June morning ! 

We captured this gun with the intention of turning 
it upon Spiritualism whenever it raises a banner with 
religion emblazoned upon it. It is also very effectual 
when turned upon the batteries of honest skepticism, 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 101 

one of which it is your pleasure to command ; and we 
indulge the hope that you will, on our opening fire, at 
once surrender your last doubt ! We will describe it 
and then discharge the piece ! It is a resolution, and 
you know that such weapons are not mere pop-guns. 
It was made by the Fifth National Convention of 
Spiritualists, held in Rochester, N. Y., Aug. 25, 1868, 
at which time a ' ; declaration of principles " was 
made and embodied in Twenty Resolutions, from which 
we select the one numbered 12, which is as follows : 

That no inspired communication in this, or any past age 
(whatever claims may be, or have been set up, as to its source) 
is authoritative, any further than it expresses truth to the 

INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS, WHICH LAST IS THE FINAL STANDARD 

to which all inspired or spiritual teachings must be brought for 
test. 

Also, resolution No. 20, Sec. 8, which is as follows : 

To DELIVER FROM ALL BONDAGE TO AUTHORITY, WHATEVER, 

vested in Creed, Book, or Church, except that of received 
truth. [Capitals are ours.] 

Sure enough ! That double-shot did make the 
splinters fly! Just think; it leaves us nothing which 
we use, or respect for higher authority, or a stand- 
ard, than our little, little Microcosm, SELF ! ! No 
book, hence no Bible, and, as a consequence, no God ; 
no Christ ; no angels ; no revelation, except by " the 
spirits," some of whose very patrons tell us they are 
not reliable : no church : hence no religion ! ! 

" Well, well, Author ! " exclaims Honest Skeptic, 
"your post-mortem examination of that wreck dis- 
covers a moral and social waste which is really sad to 
contemplate. Barring the thought of treating the 
matter lightly, it reminds me of a family I heard of in 
Massachusetts who received a telegram from a western 



102 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

town, stating that a friend was dead. On replying 
with an order to send on the remains, word came back, 
6 There weren't no remains — he was kicked by a 
mule ! ! ' " 

If our readers think the illustration too iconoclastic 
to fit the teachings of the resolutions in question, let 
them read again the extracts which we have given 
concerning the results of similar teachings in France 
in 1793-97, and ponder well, ere they teach the same 
in the family, social or political circle ! 

But some man will ask, if the evidence be so, " Why 
do any persons call Spiritualism religion?" We 
answer, that while it is true that many dissenters and 
opposers speak of Spiritualism as a religion, they do so 
in a careless way, as if by common consent or lack of 
thought; besides, there are many who are known as 
Spiritualists, who accept it as religion, or a substitute 
for it, while they are not aware that certain theories 
can be supported (though not necessarily enforced) by 
their Philosophy and " Declarations of Principles," 
which they would not be willing to accept. Many 
such will heed a proper warning and avoid the dangers 
which others have realized, as we shall fully explain 
elsewhere. 

There is, still, another class among whom are some 
preachers, but it is chiefly made up of a certain class 
of Spiritualists who seem to think that all is fair if they 
carry their points; hence they are often inconsistent, 
if not worse. Having met such persons in public, so- 
cial, and private intercourse, we know that they some- 
times dress Spiritualism in the garb of Religion, while 
some of them attempt to prove it by the Bible, when it 
suits the occasion. They do this for " effect" as did the 
funny fellows when they painted the monkey's tail ! 
But those worldly-minded, pleasure-seeking, pompous 
ego and little faith ministers and others, who, to dodge 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 103 

responsibility and the Cross, allow such "effect" to 
affect them, will, we think, lose a far greater prize than 
did those fellows who, in consequence of " effect" failed 
to secure that remote cousin (?) of Darwin by his 
caudal appendage. 

As an introduction to the close of this Topic, we will 
transcribe a statement which occurs in the middle of a 
lecture delivered by Mr. Charles Dawbarn, at Niantic 
Camp- meeting, and reported in the Banner of Light : 

Aug. 22, 1885. 
But certain men and women have set this God, and Devil, and 
Bible, and priest at defiance, and have dared to investigate for them- 
selves. [Italics are ours.] 

Honest Skeptic is now disgusted and begs that no 
more blatant blasphemy be introduced to sustain our 
position, as he is " convinced, to the last point of con- 
viction, that it is A long remove from religion." 
Nevertheless, we ask, who are those " men and women," 
who " have set God, Devil, and Bible at defiance ? ' : 
As he in his lecture speaks particularly of the last 
quarter of a century, we conclude that the lecturer 
refers to all classes of Infidels, and Spiritualists in 
particular. 

" Certain men and women have defied God ? " For- 
bid it, HEAVEN ! No, if Mr. Dawbarn means that 
all, or even one-half of the sum total have, or do thus 
defy God, then we will attempt to do them a favor by 
doubting his statement, for we cannot believe it, despite 
the fact that statistics show that crime increases 

FASTER THAN THE POPULATION ! ! 

It is true that some do this, as we have shown else- 
where, and that all of our skeptical friends reject or 
disbelieve more or less God and the Bible, as above 
quoted, and now we wish to class them all together for 
a few moments, in imagination, as Eight Millions 



104 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

(8,000,000) of Spiritualists in the United States— which 
is a liberal estimate — including those who are friendly 
to their views. 

We will suppose them to be our readers while we 
address them in the second person, kindly, purposely, 
and pointedly ; and ere we do so, the object in view 
reminds us that an' uncle of ours in Massachusetts used 
to tell us of two large boys who were school-mates of 
his, named Charles and Abner Walker. They were 
brothers, and at times were very regardless of the Fifth 
Commandment (Honour thy father and mother), for 
which they forfeited much physical comfort at the hands 
of their paternal parent ! 

One dav when he had them tied to a fence and was 
belaboring them with a small cart stake, he said : 
" Boys, Ijdo this for your good ! ! " 

Desiring " your good " we would prompt you to the 
extent of an earnest appeal to examine again the foun- 
dation of your structure, so that if found insecure, you 
may be able to build on a " sure foundation " in time 
to avoid disaster. 

A simple statement, followed by an important fact at 
hand, will make a very telling point against your theory, 
and it is this : We find that your directing power has 
prompted you at different times and places — through 
mediumship which is known as " Phenomena," both 
physical and inspirational — to oppose the Bible and its 
reputed author, in the family, on the rostrum, and 
through the press ; samples of which we have given 
elsewhere in this work. 

Now, although the Christian's God and the Bible 
have been opposed in speech and in writing by Spiritual- 
ists, varying from simple objection to open blasphemy, 
for forty-five years, yet the plain, unalterable fact is, 
that every time in these years when you have received 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 105 

and cherished good thoughts with a view to formulate 
them into fixed moral principles : 

Or planned good deeds to others without pay ; 

Or made good laws, either domestic, social, or national ; 

Or set up any criterion of good, with which to compare 
the actions, or precepts of others ; it was done 
through the silent power of the word of God. 

In short, whatsoever you, yourselves, call good, in 
your best judgment, we say (negatively) that you 
did 

Not find its origin in the Vedas ; did 

Not take it from the Koran ; did 

Not quote it from the Twenty and two Grecian oracles ; 
did 

Not receive it from the plain Infidelity of the past ; 
did 

Not obtain it from Modern Infidelity, said to have dis- 
embodied spirits in it ; but, because the Bible is 
much the oldest record of them, we say (positively) 
that you did get those principles and many others 
— often fresh and sparkling with Divine Truth 
w T hen you received them, 

From the Bible — the very same book which you have 
so vigorously opposed, earnestly declaimed against 
and often denied ! And now we pause that we 
may pose in a fitting attitude of surprise and regret, 
only to find relief when we exclaim : 

" 0, Consistency ! " Ever posing as a princely " Jewel," 
how thou dost radiate the brightness of thine own 
glory ! ! (And it shines none the less in our 
view — you know — if we happen to have it on 
exhibition !) 

Now Candid Reader, and Honest Skeptic, in particu- 
lar, we are glad of having had your company thus far, 
and that now you see clearly the great inconsistency 



106 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of denying the Bible when you really get all of your 
best ideas of moral good, or goodness, from it. You 
will now be pleased to allow us to quote from its teach- 
ings in its defence, as well as for valuable instruction 
to others in the way of correcting their errors in wrong 
reading and wrong hearing of it, and thus help them to 
avoid wrong conclusions. The many misquotations 
and wrong inferences which we find in view and review 
often require us to do this, and our readers will gain 
much with little time and cost. 

We have often noticed in our hearing and reading 
that the worse a speaker or a writer blasphemed and 
denounced the Bible, the sooner he would use some pre- 
cept or principle which was taken from its pages ; and 
the author confesses to feelings both of delight and pity 
on seeing some such men stare and wonder at their own 
folly, when reminded of it ! 

We think we have now by evidence viewed and re- 
viewed, proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Modern 
Spiritualism is not religion, but that it is a Philosophy 
which, per se, denies all religion. 

We clipped the following poem from The New Hamp- 
shire Patriot, dated Concord, May 20, 1829 : 

RELIGION ! WHAT IS IT ? 

Tis not to go to church to-day, 

To look devout, and seem to pray ; 

And ere to-morrow's sun goes down, « 

Be dealing scandal through the town. 

Not every sanctimonious face 
Denotes the certain reign of grace; 
A phiz that seems to scowl at sin, 
Oft veils hypocrisy within. 

'Tis not to mark our duty's walk, 
Or of our own good deeds to talk, 
And then to practice secret crime, 
And so misspend and waste our time. 



WHETHER IT BE A RELIGION. 107 

'Tis not for sects or creeds to fight, 
And call our zeal the rule of right, 
When all we wish, is at the best, 
To see our church excel the rest. 

'Tis not to wear the Christian's dress, 
And love to all mankind profess ; 
Then treat with scorn the suffering poor, 
And fast against them close our door. 

Ah no ! religion means not this; 

Its fruit far sweeter, fairer is ; 

In heavenly soil alone it thrives, 

And more than blossoms where it lives. 

Religion ! 'tis the rule of life, 

The bond of love, the bane of strife, 

Its precept this, " To others do, 

As you would have them do to you." 

It grieves to hear an ill report, 
And scorns with human woes to sport; 
Of others' deeds to speak no ill, 
But tell of good, or else be still. 

And we add the following : 

Religion is a stronger love of God 
Than love for parent, child or wife ; 

It seeks the path that Jesus trod, 
And thus secures eternal life. 

He who this kind of love possesses, 
Is ever true to friends and wife : 

He seeks to lessen their distresses. 
And points them to eternal life. 



THIRD TOPIC. 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 

This is an age of boast and bombast. Whatever is 
put upon the market is at once loudly cried and ear- 
nestly pronounced " the best ; " and to make it appear so, 
it is safe to say that the majority of mankind will put 
the best fruit on top, or the best specimen in front, and 
then declare they have the best. So we daily hear the 
cry in the street of " all sound apples," when in fact 
bad ones are covered by fine samples. And the same 
policy is often pursued in the representations of organ- 
izations, from a single family to the largest society. 

Such thoughts presented themselves a*s we penned 
the head-lines to this Topic, and we expect to show 
that Spiritualism is responsible for its share. 

We now proceed to show that it has claimed very 
great things for itself, as a system and a power, and 
has promised to benefit society socially and morally in 
all its phases, even to the uttermost parts of the earth. 
This, too, was done with the idea of practically deny- 
ing the Bible and its theory, or plan, of the Christian 
religion as received and taught by its adherents. 

We recollect that the early lecturers and writers on 
Spiritualism claimed it to be an improvement on the 
religion of the Bible, that it would make better society, 
and in time be generally received. If we review one 

(108) 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 109 

or two decades, we shall find that it has not lost its 
energy in that direction. 

The following is the Twentieth Resolution in the 
" Declaration of Principles," which was passed in the 
Fifth National Convention held in Rochester, N. Y., 
Aug. 25, 1868. We have referred to it before and hope 
the reader will become familiar with the name and date 
of the document. The full text will be given, under 
the head of " Spirit Teachings," in this work. The 
resolution is as follows : 

Resolved, That the hearty and intelligent conviction of these 
truths tends .... to energize the soul in all that is good and 
elevating, and to restrain from all that is evil and impure .... 
To quicken all philanthropic impulses, stimulating to enlight- 
ened and unselfish labors, for universal human good, under the 
encouraging assurance that the redeemed and exalted spirits of 
our race, instead of retiring to idle away an eternity of 
inglorious ease, are encompassing us about as a great cloud 
of witnesses, inspiring us to the work, and aiding it forward 
to a certain and glorious issue. [Capitals are ours.] 

The strong claim to a great moral force, and promise 
of a " certain and glorious issue " in connection with a 
blasphemous slur upon " eternal life " as taught in the 
Bible, make this resolution unique in construction and 
pretentious in sentiment. 

The claims and promises are prominent and need no 
comment at present, but should be kept in mind. The 
theology of the article will be noticed elsewhere, but 
we wish our readers would read it over and keep in 
mind the main facts brought out in our Second Topic. 

The following resolutions were passed by the Massa- 
chusetts State Convention of Spiritualists, held in Plym- 
outh, Sept. 23 and 24, 1871, and were, mainly, in the 
interest of " Woman Suffrage." We do not need 
them all for present use ; but on considering their 
importance as being a great right, or an immense 



110 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

wrong, in theory and practice, and their probable 
value as a reference, we give them entire as we 
clipped them from the Banner of Light, Oct. 7, 1871 : 

1. Resolved, That life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness 
are the inalienable right of all men and women. 

2. Resolved, That it is the duty of the Government to protect 
the full exercise of all inalienable rights. 

3. Resolved, That if Government abridges our inalienable 
rights, it is departing from the principles of Republican Liberty. 

4. Resolved, That all people, women as well as men, have the 
individual right to self-government, the exercise of which is 
had when they have direct representation, and is not had when 
such representation is inferred, or assumed by men. 

5. Resolved, That all the representation women now have 
in Government is either inferred or assumed. 

6. Resolved, Since to be enslaved is to have governors appointed 
us by other men, that women are enslaved. 

7. Resolved, That it is not only the right, but also the duty, 
of women to become free women ; and that to do so they 
should demand political equality with men. 

8. Resolved, That the Constitution guarantees political and 
social equality for all citizens ; and that women, as well as men, 
are citizens. 

9. Resolved, That the right to vote is a citizen's right, which, 
under the Federal Constitution, no State has the right to abridge. 

10. Resolved, That the right to be elected or appointed to 
office is also a citizen's right, attaching equally to men and 
women. 

11. Resolved, That the Supreme Court of Massachusetts in 
recently deciding that women citizens cannot hold the office 
and exercise the duties of Justice of the Peace, transcended its 
duty, and not only abridged, but trampled upon the rights of 
the citizens of the State. 

12. Resolved, That for such practices to continue is to endan- 
ger the existence of our liberties. 

13. Resolved, That Spiritualists, one and all, as individuals, 
and as representive bodies, should join in a common effort to 
secure to women the full and free exercise of citizens' rights. 

" Dr. H. B. Storer, of Boston, made an able speech 
on the widening and broadening tendencies of Spirit- 
ualism, which EMBRACED ALL REFORMS. 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. Ill 

" Spiritualism," he said, " was doing a great work 
in foreshadowing and rendering familiar the coming re- 
forms of the age. Its mission is to make popular that 
which is unpopular — not to represent what is popular 
now. It was teaching people to dare to think, and 
daring, to speak their thought." [Capitals are ours.] 

The fitness of introducing these resolutions at this 
time, and their value as authentic information, will be 
seen by the following excerpt from Mrs. C. L. V. Rich- 
mond's discourse in the Banner of Light, Dec. 20, 
1884: 

Spiritualism has distinguished itself above all other sys- 
tems YET KNOWN TO THE WORLD, BY ITS ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE 
IMPORTANCE OF WOMAN'S PLACE IN THE WORK OF THE WORLD'S AD- 
VANCEMENT. It is a coequal dispensation — it recognizes for it- 
self the great fact that the gifts of God and nature, bestowed 
with liberal hand, are not subject to any of the limitations 
which human authority has placed around the mere fact of sex. 
The divine fervor of preaching the New Gospel descended alike 
at its coming, upon the lowly maiden and the obscure individ- 
ual, and each rose up panoplied for a struggle in which the 
Colleges, the Schools of Theology, and all presumably 
authoritative institutions in matters regarding the human 
conscience and human destiny, must in the end give way. 
[Capitals are ours.] 

It must be admitted that we have an invoice of im- 
portant material in the last three articles quoted. The 
first is from the National Convention of Spiritualists, 
and the second is from a State Convention, hence are 
not picked up say-sos. The third article is from an 
old stand-by lecturer, and therefore should be high 
authority on the subject treated. Let us notice them. 

The first article, which is a resolution, was made 
when Modern Spiritualism was twenty years old, and 
in growing condition. It claimed a moral principle 
which comprehends a great amount of good, and vir- 
tually promised complete success through the assistance 



112 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of a "great cloud of witnesses" who were " inspiring " 
and " aiding it forward." This was twenty-five years 
ago. Has the promise been, or is it being verified ? 
We shall answer with facts in due time. 

The next article, which is a series of Resolutions, 
strongly advocates the doGtrine of " Woman's Suffrage," 
which holds a prominent place among the questions of 
the day, and is more than a giant power for good or 
for evil. It was first advocated in 1847 as " Woman's 
Eights." The next year Modern Spiritualism appeared 
and became its support. Then appeared Court Officials, 
Legislators and Congressmen, from time to time, in sup- 
port of the theory ; and many ministers of the Gospel 
have lent their talents and voices eloquently in favor 
of Woman's Suffrage. 

This buings us to Mrs. Richmond's statement in the 
article last quoted, in which she declares that " Spirit- 
ualism has distinguished itself above all other systems 
yet known to the world, by its acknowledgment of the 
importance of woman's place in the work of the world's 
advancement." Now suppose we admit the " ac- 
knowledgment " claimed by Mrs. Richmond, and pro- 
ceed to discover the advantages, if any, which woman 
has gained. This being granted, let us assert : 

First, that Woman Suffrage includes any and all 
received ideas of " Woman's Rights," as formerly 
taught ; and that the doctrine is fraught with possibili- 
ties of incalculable weal or woe for Woman, and for 
society as a whole, according as it shall by its teachings 
make her and her lot through life better or worse. 

Second, that Spiritualism is largely responsible for 
the result of the mighty effort which has been made to 
convince the American mind that Woman's Suffrage 
would prove an inestimable blessing to woman, and 
therefore to society. Having presented these positions 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 113 

and propositions, we will now proceed to examine them 
closely. 

A very old and very suggestive proverb runs thus : 

"He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; 
but his neighbor cometh and searcheth him." Prov. 
18: 17. 

If by " searching " we find the proper answer to such 
an important question, there will be cause for much 
satisfaction in very many minds. If on examination 
we find that Woman Suffrage teachings now, at the 
end of forty-five years, are proving to be the blessing to 
women which was promised, then we think Spiritualism 
should have the honor which it claims. If it be other- 
wise, the result will be fearful to contemplate. What 
are the facts ? This, with other like questions raised, 
will be answered collectively by an array of facts 
which will appear in their place. Meanwhile, we may 
hear from others who look from different stand-points, 
Geographical as well as Theoretical. 

The reader will bear in mind that the Sixth Resolu- 
tion in the series quoted declares that women are en- 
slaved ; the seventh declares that it is their right and 
duty to become free women, and that to do so " they 
should demand political equality." The ninth and tenth 
virtually declare that women have a right to vote, and 
to be elected to office. The eleventh notes a recent 
decision (1871) of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, 
that women cannot hold the office of Justice of the 
Peace ; while the twelfth resolution declares " that for 
such practices to continue, is to endanger the existence 
of our liberties." (! !) 

This prompts another question to be added to our 
list, viz. : Has Modern Spiritualism, as a part or parcel 
of the National Woman's Suffrage Association, after 
forty-five years of constant effort, aided by Editorial, 
Judicial, and Pulpit talent, improved the moral and 

8 



114 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

social condition of the women of our nation ? We 
think the question is to the point, if not pointed, and 
we expect to find an answer. 

While considering this important part of our Topic, 
as a claim of Spiritualism, we shall neither beg nor 
abuse the question, but " give credit as freely as we 
charge," for we would rather find our position to be 
wrong than right, though it is not expected. 

We clipped the following from the report of the pro- 
ceedings of the Woman's Suffrage Association, held in 
Washburn Hall, Worcester, Mass., Nov. 7, and pub- 
lished in the Boston Journal, Nov. 14, 1873 : 

The subject was freely discussed by a number of men and a 
larger number of women. Huldah B. Loud, of Abington, was 
very severe upon Rufus Choate for his expression that " woman 
in and of herself, had no character and no individuality aside 
from her attachment to man." 

Hon. Geo. F. Hoar, M. C. from Mass., said : " The woman- 
hood of Massachusetts was as capable as the manhood of the 
Commonwealth to solve the knotty problems coming up for dis- 
position and adjustment in the primary assemblies, halls of 
legislation, or even of justice." 

If this be so, and if it be a privilege for a woman, a 
prominent speaker in convention, to " speak evil of 
dignities," even of the Chief Magistrate of the State, 
as was done in a Woman Suffrage Convention in Phil- 
adelphia, might we not expect there would be (no) 
" music in the air" when opposing parties of both sexes 
should meet where they caucus, " cuss " and discuss 
political topics, past, present, and prospective? 

Again, would ladies, wishing to vote, enjoy edging 
their way through a small crowd surrounding a pigeon- 
hole in a cigar store window, where many 

Stand, and spit, and smoke, and swear, 
And air and earth are filthy there ? 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 115 

We vote NO, early and often ; and " so a-long," sine 
die ! 

Personally, the writer would be in line with those 
men who would be last to withhold from woman any 
right or favor which her Maker has designed for her; 
and to urge upon her that which He has designed 
otherwise, would not be wise, for it would constitute a 
triple error; that is, it would be against woman, as 
such, against man, and also against his Maker. We 
would seek her highest good, now and hereafter, which 
to do is the best test of love and friendship. Even the 
roughest of men, if sane, have some respect for a wo- 
man, if she be what we know as a lady. An other- 
wise rough acquaintance of ours once said, he " would 
not ill-treat the other sex, for he remembered that his 
mother was a woman ! " 

There should be ways devised to secure the making 
of laws which will protect woman's best interests in 
matters of property, as well as of her social relations 
and personal safety. This can be done without detract- 
ing from the dignity and moral influence which is con- 
sequent upon that loveliness and sympathy which 
makes even her presence a power for good, and which 
should not be compromised. To drag her into modern 
politics would be to demoralize woman who was lovely ; 
to cast away a high grade of moral possibilities; to 
" kill the goose that laid the desirable egg : " in short, 
to ignobly defeat the object claimed in the proposition ! 

Holding these views, we should very naturally say 
a strong NO to the Woman's Suffrage question, and for 
many reasons ; perhaps they may be comprehended in 
Three, viz. : 

1. It is contrary to the laws of woman's physical and 
mental make-up, or the plan of her nature in its en- 
tirety, as a lovely companion for man ; hence, if carried 
to practical results would subject her to awkwardness, 



116 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

shame, distress, and hardship, which evidently was not 
designed to belong to her sphere of action in life. 

2. Those women who have time and would use their 
talent in the political arena with hope of success might 
exercise their gifts in a different way, and obtain the 
result they so much desire in a more quiet, effectual, 
and dignified manner than to unsex themselves by 
wading through the moral mire found in the road of 
modern politics. 

3. Those women who could not, if they would, be a 
success in the political field — and they are many — 
would soon become worse for having entered it, and 
some would act as spies, " cat's-paws," " go-betweens," 
scandal-mongers, and do other jobs of political drudgery, 
while the influence on unstable-minded men would be 
the worse because it came from woman. 

Our First Reason affords a good opportunity to quote 
the very able remarks of Judge Ludlow, in May, 1884, 
as published in The Philadelphia Record. The occasion 
was the delivery by the Judge of an opinion refusing 
to admit Mrs. Carrie Burnham Kilgore* to practice as. 
an attorney in the Court of Common Pleas, No. 3. 
After giving clear legal reasons, Judge Ludlow said : 

It may be admitted that no inherent reason exists why a 
woman, married or single, may not engage in any business which 
a man may lawfully follow. It ought, however, to be remem- 
bered that the Creator of the universe, for a reason which any 
reasonable being ought to consider self-evident, made a distinc- 
tion between the sexes, and saw fit in the propagation of the 
species to protect the physically weaker sex by laws as inflexi- 
ble as other and general laws governing the universe, and to 
place under the protection of the male sex the female, simply 
because as a general and universal law, applicable to all created 
living organisms, the female requires protection. 

Of exceptional cases we do not speak, but of general laws, by 

* Mrs. Kilgore was admitted to the bar in the Supreme Courts, 
May 11, 1886. 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 117 

which aione we must determine principles of universal applica- 
tion. Again, experience, if it proves anything, establishes the 
fact that while a dividing line cannot be accurately drawn be- 
tween duties chiefly appertaining to the male and female, the 
laws of God, or, for those who deny His existence, the laws of 
nature, distinctly point to the female for the performance of 
those duties, to my mind, of the highest and noblest which may 
be performed by her, if not in private, at least away from public 
glare and public exposure. 

These duties are so various and many that it is needless to 
enumerate them. In passing, however, may be named domes- 
tic duties generally, and those which appertain to the married 
woman in the care, protection and education of children ; and 
the very fact that the employment of • women to do that which 
by common consent a man only should do causes a shock, is 
an argument of some force from nature itself. It is the 
emphatic assumption of a general principle. 

I do not stop to reason by analogy from the lower creation, 
for there the instinct implanted at once settles the question. 
The argument drawn from the abuse of power by the male sex 
does not destroy the principle which is assailed. 

Legislation itself has of recent years largely extended and 
protected the rights of married women, and yet any one famil- 
iar with the decisions of our own Supreme Court has not failed 
to notice the fact that recent decisions have curtailed the 
liberal interpretation of the laws relating to married women 
which at first swayed the Court, because it was found by experi- 
ence that that which was properly intended as a shield had in 
many cases proven to be a double-edged sword ; and it is a 
question yet to be solved how far this inversion, so to speak, of 
the order of nature, will not finally produce an unnatural com- 
petition between the sexes, and, what is worse, a condition of 
society wherein worthless husbands, fathers, sons and brothers 
will depend upon the exertions of those who ought to receive 
and enjoy that protection which nature intended. 

The wise counsel and important suggestions in the 
article quoted should be carefully read and studied by 
both men and women. The increasing evidence of 
the approach of such a condition of society as is 
brought to view in the last clause is, to a deep thinking 
person having an honest heart, really appalling ! 

Perhaps you will cry with trumpet voice, " Woman 



118 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Suffrage to the rescue ! " If you do so, viewing the 
"rescue" as a process of voting by two-thirds of the 
women, each one possessing such a character as you 
enjoy telling strangers that your mother possessed while 
living, then we should wish your view correct, for we 
could enjoy shouting your praises for voting us down ! 

Shall we be thus situated or subjected ? Never ! But 
why not? Because such a state of female society was 
never made by the ballot-box, and if it existed, it 
would not use the ballot, because it could govern better 
without it ! Now we are earnestly asked, " If this be 
so, how is it, and why is it ? " We answer : The mov- 
ing power would be the moral and social influence of 
the highest type of female society, which for natural 
reasons must ever be more effectual for good without 
the ballot-than with it. 

When the evidence is all in, it will be seen that 
Woman Suffrage would not benefit society when in 
such condition as that referred to by Judge Ludlow. 
In speaking of the unfitness of certain occupations he 
wisely admits " exceptional cases," and these are, no 
doubt, among those which Forest Greenfield calls 
"woman's privileges" — not her work. We call it her 
limited latitude in mans sphere of action — a possibly 
necessary margin in social economy, wherein she may 
succeed in making points that would be creditable to 
herself and useful to others, and thus fill the picture, or 
rather, fulfil the great design, viz., a " helpmeet " or 
helpmate, for man. But if she attempts to " box the 
compass" in the sphere of masculine occupations, she 
will sooner or later find herself in a position where, if 
seen by her father, brother or husband, he would leave 
her, with disgust, or become indifferent to her compan- 
ionship ! 

The following despatch, clipped from the Item, Phil- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 119 

adelphia, and dated Boston, May 1, 1886, may be suf- 
ficient for our purpose in this direction : 

SHOCKING THE DOCTORS. 

The surgeons and medical students in the operating room of 
the City Hospital were given a shock to-day while a male 
patient was being treated for a private disease, and an operation 
was about to be performed — by the appearance of a bevy of 
female students from a medical school, under the lead of one 
of their instructors. All took seats with the evident intention 
of viewing the operation. 

They were at once requested to withdraw, but refused to do 
so. The surgeon in charge then informed them that unless 
they withdrew he would not perform the operation, but this 
had no more effect than the previous request to withdraw. 
They still held their seats. Accordingly, operations were trans- 
ferred to a private room, and they were left in possession of the 
place, where they remained for some time. 

A fortnight ago a similar attempt was made by female stu- 
dents, with two of their instructors, to attend an operation here. 
Then, as to-day, they took seats in the room prepared to sit out 
the operation, and paid no heed to the request of a messenger 
that they withdraw, as their presence was not in accordance 
with the rules of the institution. But after the two instructors 
had a talk with parties in the hall-way below, their presence 
there being requested before they began, by their advice the 
women reluctantly went away. 

For our part we are glad it does not say ladies. 

The following interesting and very able article is of 
earlier date — Camden Courier, June 10, 1889 — and we 
gladly make room for it in this connection by giving a 
reprint : 

FEMALE DOCTORS. 

Dr. Charcot, the famous French doctor, is opposed to the ad- 
mission of women to his profession. He spoke very decidedly 
on the subject the other day after the jury, of which he was one, 
had listened to the thesis written and read by Mile. Schultze, 
and had given their verdict thereon — a most favorable one : " If 
your intention, mademoiselle, was to prove the intellectual ca- 
pacity of women, of what courage she is capable, the amount 



120 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of instruction she can acquire when she likes, I have only 
praise to give you. Allow me to say, however, that we had 
nothing to learn on this score ; we already knew that woman, 
superior to man in many ways, is his equal in many of his in- 
tellectual manifestations. 

" But if your intention was to prove that the medical profes- 
sion is as much a feminine as a masculine one, it is impossible 
for me not to raise, my voice against such a pretension. The 
woman doctor will never be anything but an exception. There 
are exceptional women in every walk of life — in art, science, 
and literature. There are even women who have carried arms, 
and yet the military career is the one least suited to your sex. 

" It is worthy of remark that when a woman adopts a pro- 
fession suitable to men, it is never a secondary part she at- 
tempts to play. She prefers the first characters. I spoke of 
women warriors. These women, you know, played the part of 
general, never that of simple soldier. Now these female doc- 
tors aim immediately at being house surgeons in our hospitals ; 
and they will practice medicine, you will see, only in large 
towns — never in the country. I hold their pretensions to be 
exorbitant, being contrary to the nature of things — contrary 
to esthetics." 



The Doctor leaves little room for our " small talk," 
so we leave him in your care. 

Our Second Reason treats upon woman's power 
aside and away from the ballot. By power we mean 
moral influence, or that hold which others secure upon 
our sense of moral and social uprightness by making their 
acts and manners agree with their expressed sentiments, 
and which are found to be considered proper by us. 

But the theory of this power, the principle of which 
we have so simply stated, would be abstract in this con- 
nection if left by itself, for while it would correctly ex- 
plain and state the amount of influence or power ex- 
erted by man upon woman, yet, if exerted by woman 
upon man, then a naturally allied power — woman's in- 
fluence, as such — is at once added and the difference 
becomes great ; and it may be varied from that uncer- 
tain quantity to the greatest extreme ; not only tempt- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 121 

ing him to sacrifice property, but his principles, or even 
cause him to argue points with Death, and then take 
chances with him ! 

It is readily seen that woman may hold all the moral 
virtues, which are aside from consideration of sex, 
that man can have. Now add to this moral power, 
which is equal to man's, the power of woman's 
influence per se, which may include all social possibili- 
ties, and we have before us the mighty power of 
woman's influence, not in the abstract, but in the con- 
crete. We pause to see if some expert will attempt to 
measure it ! 

Comes here a man, mighty in bone and muscle, who 
can with one blow of his huge, hard fist fell an ox to 
the ground ? Comes now a man that is mighty in in- 
tellectual power, a true statesman, and the applauded 
orator of the day ? Yes, they come ! I see, too, me- 
thinks, a valiant soldier approaching, he who has with 
drawn sword led his comrades into the deadly conflict ! 

Now, altogether ! We will see if this assemblage of 
triple might dares presume to play any monkey pranks 
with this great dual force by inconsiderately attempt- 
ing to use or direct it ! If it does, let us hint to its 
members in dynamite tones that they have no assurance 
anywhere, that they will not, ere they pass yonder turn 
of the road, be found ready for their graves, the victims 
of violence, or hanging from trees because they have 
committed such crimes ! Nevertheless, if properly 
used, this power would prove a comfort and able assist- 
ance along the turnpike of life, and with the prompting 
of Christian principles would make it a " highway " 
of peace, which will end in the glories of the " ever- 
lasting hills ! " 

We now cheerfully give way and let a more eloquent 
artist finish this part of our picture. 

Dr. Talmage, in his sermon on Nov. 9, 1884, said : 



122 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

When I see Eve, with this powerful influence over Adam, 
and over the generations that have followed, it suggests to me 

the great power all women have for good, or for evil I 

make up my mind that the frail arm of woman can strike a 
blow which will resound through all eternity. . . . 

Of course, I am not speaking of representative women — of Eve, 
who ruined the race by one fruit-picking; of Jael, who' drove a 
spike through the head of Sisera, the warrior ; of Esther, who 
overcame royalty ; of Abigail, who stopped a host by her own 
beautiful prowess ; of Mary, who nursed the World's Saviour ; 
of Grandmother Lois, immortalized in her son Timothy; of 
Charlotte Corday, who drove the dagger through the heart of the 
assassin of her lover, or of Marie Antoinette, who by one look 
from the balcony of her castle, quieted a mob, her own scaffold 
the throne of forgiveness and womanly courage ! 

I speak not of these extraordinary persons, but of those who, 
unambitious for political power as wives and mothers and 
sisters and daughters, attend to the thousand sweet offices of 
home. 

The following clipping from a news journal, though 
a waif, is in keeping with our effort, and too good to be 
a pigeon-hole hermit. 

a mother's influence. 

The late Thomas H. Benton, who was so long in public life 
and surrounded by temptations, paid the following tribute to 
his mother : " My mother asked me never to use tobacco, and I 
have never touched it from that time to the present day ; she 
asked me not to game, and I have not ; and I cannot tell who 
is winning or who is losing in games that are played. She 
admonished me, too, against drinking, and whatever capacity 
for endurance I may have at present, and whatever usefulness 
I may attain in life, I attribute to having complied with her 
pious and correct wishes. 

" When I was seven years of age she asked me not to drink, 
and then I made a resolution of total abstinence, at a time 
when I was sole constituent member of my own body. I 
adhered to it through all time, and I owe to my mother." 

For an ancient illustration of a wicked mother's 
influence, read the account of Herodias who directed 
her daughter to require the head of John the Baptist 






ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 123 

as a reward for her dancing before the king ! Matt. 
14 : 3-12. 

The following excerpt is from an editorial in the 
Philadelphia Record, March 19, 1884, and is so weighty 
with important truth, and so forcible in expression, 
that we intend to print a duplicate of this page, and 
when framed, to hang it in our sitting-room! 

The family is the fundamental polity, and its integrity and 
security go far to determine that of the state. Woman's king- 
dom is the household. She should reign there an unquestioned 
queen. That commonwealth will always be the strongest and 
the noblest which most profoundly recognizes her inviolable 
sanctity as wife and mother, and which best protects — it may be 
sometimes from herself — against the degradation of divorce. 

The oneness and perpetuity of marriage honors and ennobles 
woman. And the character of a civilization is invariably 

WHAT SHE MAKES IT. It CAN RISE NO HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE 

of its homes : it can fall no lower. The family is the 
nursery of the future men who are to constitute the state." 
[Capitals are ours.] 

The next article in our list is in keeping with the 
one just quoted, and though somewhat lengthy, is so 
crammed with good things that we do not see how to 
divide it to the reader's advantage. It is from The 
Western Rural, Chicago, May 1, 1886. 



woman's work. 



The time has come when the duties and privileges of woman 
are being considered almost universally. For many years she 
has pursued the path of freedom in the face of opposition and 
ofttimes ridicule, until, at last, a star has risen above our 
country — the star of knowledge; and many prejudices which 
were formerly held in the darkness are now being abandoned 
in its light. 

Colleges have opened wide their doors to her, and she may 
enter, if she chooses, upon many of the professions which 
would, perhaps, be adorned by the presence of a sweet-minded 
woman. She may ascend into the pulpit, the rostrum, and into 



124 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

some official chairs ; but we cannot forbear saying that we think 
these are woman's privileges — not her work. 

We have not yet deserted the ranks of those who believe that 

IT IS IN THE HOME CIRCLE WHERE WOMAN'S INFLUENCE IS MOST 

potent for good or evil. It is here that the harmony or 
discord of her own inner life will be brought to the surface, to 
reflect with powerful effect upon the lives of those by whom 
she is surrounded. -At their own firesides the greatest and best 
men in the world's history have received the impressions which 
moulded their characters and shaped their destinies. 

The glorious Washington, at whose name a million hearts 
beat and throb exultantly, was taught by his mother the bless- 
ings of obedience, and the beauty of a character imbued with a 
faith in Christ. The result of an opposite home influence is 
seen in the life of the gifted Byron. His poems are passionate, 
and sometimes strangely beautiful ; but through them all we 
detect that tone which betrays a spirit broken by sorrow, sin and 
misery. 

Had his mother been less capricious, inconsistent and vain, 
he would* have been spared those destructive feelings which are 
usually occasioned in the heart by wild and wanton conduct. 
He may be censured for pursuing an evil course, but the 
mother who cannot control herself need have no hope that her son can 
control himself. We are what training has made us, and the man 
who is by nature a lawyer will no more be a successful farmer 
than a geranium will be a rose-bush. So we hold that the 

HOME NEEDS THE WOMAN MORE THAN DOES THE BROAD ARENA OF 
PUBLIC STRIFE. 

We can do more for our brothers by interesting ourselves 
in things they are interested in, and becoming their kindest 
companions — more for our husbands by loving them and 
resolutely maintaining in ourselves a daily carriage of purity 
and faith — and more for our sons by making home the dearest, 
prettiest place they know, than by any lecture, lodge or 
vote. 

" There is no place like home," and no agent so powerful as 
love. 

There is a woman who, in perfect harmony with an unseen 
purpose of our Father, has remained in the "garden of 
single blessedness," and upon whom society has rather scornfully 
bestowed the unworthy title of " old maid." Of her work, little 
has been said ; but, nevertheless, we think she has a part to 
play in the splendid drama of life which is just as important as 
any of us have. There are dear little motherless children to be 
sought and cared for — there are heartbroken wanderers every- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 125 

where who can never be comforted by any but a woman's 
encouraging words. Maiden ladies, be faithful to your trust. 
Fear not the critical eye of an ill-deserving world. 

We can hardly say we advocate the cause of Woman's Suf- 
frage. We have studied the matter very carefully, but fail to 

SEE ANY PRACTICAL ADVANTAGE RESULTING FROM ACCESS TO THE 

ballot. The popular cry of its adherents has been, "Give us 
the ballot and liquor saloons will be voted out of existence." 
That might be if the privilege of voting was restricted to 
temperate women ; but they must remember that the earth is 
teeming with lewd and intemperate women, as well as men. 

The cry, " Woman is enslaved," is about worn out. Every 
woman who is the slave of a man has only herself to blame. 
If we were united with one of those animals who always carries 
and superintends the money which is the product of his own 
and his wife's earnings, we would quietly lay by our work and 
rest until he concluded to treat us as a faithful woman should 
be treated. If a woman has not strength of character to assert 
her rights in her own home she is illy prepared to engage in 
public warfare. She had better straighten things out a little in 
her own little realm, and if this were done, she would probably 
find, as we have, that the political arena has lost its charms in 
the fulness of the joy of a love-lit home. 
[Emphasis is ours. — Author.] " Forest Greenfield." 

Now we imagine that every lady and gentleman who 
loves good things will exclaim, " Those two articles are 
excellent, indeed ; " and suiting action to sentiment, will 
turn and read them over again. Moreover, we have a 
little stock of pity to lavish upon those persons who 
cannot highly prize and properly appreciate them. 

Continuing our comments on our second reason, we 
remark, — A woman can often carry her point by atti- 
tude and speech, when a man's attitude, speech, and 
force would prove a failure ! 

The Philadelphia Record says : " Woman is the his- 
toric power behind the throne, mightier than the throne 
itself." 

This is the key to the correct solution of the problem. 
Why, reader, just consider it and see if you can think 
of many enterprises that woman has undertaken (with- 



126 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

out the ballot) which failed ? If a Continent is to be 
discovered under difficulties or National Monuments to 
be built, as Bunker Hill and Washington ; armies to be 
suddenly raised and uniformed ; a great Reform to be 
carried, moral, social, or financial — will they not all 
succeed if woman takes the matter in hand ? Verily, 
they will ! 

Again, suppose that wives and mothers — more espe- 
cially mothers — should set their hearts and minds, 
their faces and voices against tobacco ; there would be 
a moral and social change in society which would as- 
tonish the actors themselves. Let us look at the re- 
sults for a moment. First, the wife, who spends much 
of her time in the house, would have better air to breathe 
day and night, while the babies and small children 
would not be obliged to inhale the vile gases from pipes 
and cigars, which poison their systems and cause them 
much suffering. A gentleman or lady could walk on 
a public street and not be annoyed by the sickening 
and disgusting feelings of insult and injury caused by 
some ill-mannered clown having blown his filthy smoke, 
or allowed the passing breeze to blow it, into their faces 
and eyes. 

We could pass over those beautiful squares in our 
city, or around that sacred building, Independence Hall, 
on a bright June day, without having to pick our way 
through tobacco slush or breathe its disgusting aroma ! 
We should not see squads of little boys, numbering 
from three to nine, all in short pants, smoking and chew- 
ing tobacco, or hunting cigar-stubs in the gutters ! 
The writer has seen this and even worse. And when 
we consider that three-fourths of them, if they continue 
in the habit, will be drinkers at the end of eight years, 
the thought is harrowing, indeed. If you doubt this, 
take names and dates and watch the cases. 

Another thought : they will then be about old enough 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 127 

to vote ; say, good parents, do you think they will vote 
for " Prohibition ?" Oh, ye fond mothers, think of 
this and do not take our word for it, but use your own 
eyes and ears and you will see the folly of waiting for 
Woman's Suffrage to change and correct this alarming 
phase of modern fashion, for such it really is. 

Again, we could take our wives and children to church 
or elsewhere on Sunday without passing between rows 
of young men who sit, spit, smoke and swear, and foul 
the sidewalk to our discomfort, and their own moral 
damage, for be it remembered that almost all drunkards 
used tobacco first ! Do you doubt it ? Then canvass 
all your acquaintances through life, by calling them to 
mind, and you will be surprised at the result ; it will 
convince you that although many tobacco users do not 
become drunkards, yet they are always in danger in 
that direction, as the tobacco habit naturally creates an 
appetite for stimulants. 

But aside from these facts, we think if a gentleman 
chooses to take an excursion on a river steamer accom- 
panied by his wife, who happens to be a lady, and it is 
found that they must forego the pleasure of views and 
breeze and retreat to the cabin, or else stand while on 
the deck to avoid the soiling of the lady's dress by 
chewers' effusions upon the floor, or the irritation of her 
delicate lungs by the poison smoke-clouds of the cigar- 
burners who are present, it should be enough to make 
that couple set their faces, voice, and pockets against 
the physical, social and moral scourge. Women can 
and should exert the social and moral influence which 
they are known to possess, against a habit which is 
known to lead to much drunkenness and crime. Moth- 
ers and marriageable daughters will get informed on 
this subject, if they wish to avoid untold misery. We 
are glad the Banner of Light is right on this question. 

Returning to our main topic, we will now hear the 



128 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

editor of the Indianapolis News, as quoted in the Phil- 
adelphia Record, on the subject of woman's sphere, or 
place : 

Women have enough to endure from their appointed place in 
nature to secure them the high privilege of immunity from the 
burdens of suffrage. They should be excused from' the cares 
of public administrations, the machinations of politics, and 
the responsibilities of office, that they remain uncoarsened 
from such association and free to preserve immaculate the 
purity and delicacy of their moral nature, fitting themselves 
thus to become the mothers of the race, and the inspiration of 
their day and generation to better things. 

The perfect development of mankind as God made them — 
" male and female created He them " — looks to the fulfillment 
of their separate purposes ; and he distorts the plan of cre- 
ation who would try to make their places and duties in 
life interchangeable. As the curses pronounced upon Adam 
and Eve were different, as the physical functions of man and 
woman ^,re different, so are their places in life and the 
duties and burdens they have laid upon them different. 

Unsettled statesmen should get a clear view of the fundamen- 
tal nature of things before they allow addled sentiment to en- 
list them in a cause to unsex man and woman. [The capitals 
are ours. — Author.] 

We think the best comment on the above article 
will be found in reading it again. Try it ! We hope 
the News will repeat it often. The last clause in the 
article prompts us to insert the following paragraph 
which a Boston paper credits to the Circular : 

A woman unsexed, or trying to be and act like a man, is 
odious. The secret of a great many persons becoming unat- 
tractive may be traced to some such transformation. In one 
way or another they get one side, and either justly or unjustly 
feel that man has abused them, and so throw off their connec- 
tion with man, and set up to be men themselves. They may 
plead necessity as an excuse for their position ; but if there is a 
necessity, it is a most unfortunate necessity. In breaking their 
subordinate connection with man, and setting up for independ- 
ence, and assuming a masculine character, they infallibly lose 
the beauty and bloom of womanhood. 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 129 

We heard a lecture delivered in Philadelphia, by a 
woman dressed in men's clothes. We did our best in 
trying to like the presentation, but failed in the effort. 
We then took pains to see how others received it. The 
sexes were equally divided in the audience, and none 
showed signs of appreciation. We are candid in the 
opinion that nearly all went away with feelings of dis- 
gust with the strange awkwardness of the sight, and 
pity for the object. 

At this point, Dr. Talmage's sermon on " Woman's 
Opportunities" came to hand, and we are glad to state 
that he arrives at conclusions which are similar to 
those herein presented. Of course, he has set them in 
true " Talmagian " eloquence, as usual. See the Chris- 
tian Herald, Sept. 1, 1887. 

It may be well to further consider the importance of 
encouraging woman to occupy her proper place, as so- 
ciety greatly needs her utmost influence on the side of 
right in these morally " perilous times/' We will take 
a view of her in the home circle, that dear spot on 
earth where we began life, took our first breakfast, and 
our first lessons in life ! 

An able writer in the New Orleans States has much 
confidence in woman's influence as an operating force, 
even from the commencement of family affairs. In 
concluding an article headed " Managing a Husband," 
as quoted in the Philadelphia Record, May, 1886, she 
says : 

I believe, after all, the best advice I can give you, my fair 
bride, is the same as a wise woman gave her only married daugh- 
ter : " Give your husband his own way for twelve months, and 
you will have yours for the rest of your life." 

Perhaps this good advice should be explained for the 
benefit of many young wives, or those who have not 
given their new social relation the thought which it 

9 



130 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

should have received. It is understood, of course, that 
the young husband has a passably moral and social 
character, and we will suppose the advice was given 
thus : 

" Say and do all that you can to show your husband 
that you wish him to have all good things at his first 
thought or wish in so far as it is possible and reason- 
able, even at a little sacrifice on your part." 

Now, if you adhere to this principle, basing it on a 
high moral standard — if really Christian the better — 
and adorn your actions with dignified loveliness in your 
sweet smiles of approval or becoming emotion and 
kind, imploring tones in your disapproval or reproof, as 
a " sweet-minded woman " can do, then you will realize 
the benefit of having accepted the advice which we 
have quoted. 

This God-given power to woman if used with tact 
and judgment will produce a blessed state of things in 
the home circle, for we assure you that no man having 
only a moderate allowance of common decency and 
good morals can possibly withstand such treatment 
from his loving wife. He will enjoy being led by her 
so easily and lovingly to a higher plane of usefulness 
and success ; and though it is sometimes true that a 
good wife is the workmanship of a good husband, yet 
we often remark, A man is apt to become what his 
wife makes him ! 

At this, a chorus of voices will chime in and exclaim, 
" Oh, that's not so; my wife never changed my course ; 
I wouldn't be led by a woman!" To nearly all such 
we can can safely say in the language of Scripture, 
" Thou art the man," for inquiry usually develops the 
fact that such men are either changed already or are 
becoming changed from good, or bad, principles to 
other grades of morals and position in society by the 
influence of their wives. 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 131 

This ought not to be surprising to any, for the first 
husband in man's history was led by his wife, which in 
his case was to sorrow, pain, and disaster. True, her 
toleration of a third party had much to do in the case, 
but this was not his fault. We claim that under con- 
ditions of civilization that are based on Scriptural 
teachings the influence of the wife — with no third 
party influence in the family — will always be stronger 
for good than that of the husband on moral and social 
questions in the social circle, and this will ever govern 
the political circle. 

But let us reverse the order of things above named, 
and suppose that some friend (?) or relative has drilled 
the young wife in " Woman's Rights " as received and 
practised among the " millions." The very first object 
being power — not the power of love which makes a 
woman's very presence suggest gladness, but the power 
of authority in masculine style, causing disgust, sad- 
ness and revolt, to be followed by quarrels, desertion, 
divorce, and perhaps murder and suicide ! Or, the 
husband may in the goodness of his kind disposition 
succumb to the tyranny of his (un)fair companion and 
gradually become a menial slave, who, losing his man- 
hood in a measure, will look upon himself as a blank, 
while his wife will view him as a cypher until his 
friends pass him with pity and disgust. 

The persistent effort of Satan's wily sneak who acted 
the part of a third party — as it was in Eden — by 
invading their happy home has proved a success ! 
Nothing is left but the skeleton of a wrecked com- 
panionship stalking over a barren course, while 

Outraged Love flaps her graceful wings 
And soars to hearts where flowers bloom : 

Those wings of Joy and Peace — sweet things — 
Spread not o'er him this side the tomb ! 



132 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

We do not wonder that a certain writer said, "A 
woman can lead a man to God, or drive him to the 
devil/' seeing that so many cases have suggested such 
a conclusion, yet we cannot accept it without qualifi- 
cation. 

It is now clear to us that woman can educate and 
modify the ballot without using it ; and this is her 
privilege, or right, and it will secure to her her 

RIGHTS WITHOUT OVERSTEPPING THE BOUNDS OF TRUE 

womanly modesty — that attribute, or quality, of woman 
which is positively the last force in her which man in 
his wickedness is willing to violate ! 

Our Third Reason embraces a class of women who 
bear a low reputation, and who are particularly numer- 
ous in large cities where politics are hatched and 
grown, and often manipulated by rogues and — money. 
We learn from the Philadelphia Press. May 29, 1887, 
that a ' f recent police estimate " of the number of lewd 
women in the city of New York is sixty thousand ! 
Let us call it forty thousand. 

All of these, if under Suffrage laws, would take part 
in politics, but not as office-seekers. Their lack of 
means, if neither character nor ability were wanting, 
would keep their political kites near the ground. 
Nevertheless, their influence and action would be a 
greater force than now, for while at present it is simply 
an immoral force, or power, then it would be a political 
power as well, for they would vote because " there's 
money (or drink) in it." They are not all simple 
enough to sell their chastity, and then give away their 
votes ! 

Let us see : Forty regiments — not of handsome, able- 
bodied and well-trained soldiers who would at one 
terribly suggestive word of command from their General 
move at " double quick " across yonder field, despite 
the advancing foe, and finally reach their own quarters, 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 133 

when, turning to view the scene, they recognize the 
familiar form and gray feathers of " Old Abe," with 
talons clenching the top of their Standard, and scream- 
ing VICTORY, while his image with open countenance 
reflects from forty thousand shining bayonets ! No, not 
that, but a like number of the other sex, whose ages 
range about the same — wives, mothers, daughters and 
sisters of somebody ; and are of all sizes, shades and dis- 
positions. One sad fact attaches itself to each one of 
this multitude which is enough to people a city, viz. : 
she has fallen from her former position in society, BUT 

SHE CAN AND WILL VOTE. 

Now notice two facts : First, that modern politics as 
a work, or process, tend to degrade rather than to 
elevate, in a moral sense, of which we have abundance 
of proof. This is because it points to political fame and 
also to money rather than to honorable distinction in 
" righteousness " which will " exalt a nation ; " while 
evil doing "is a reproach to any people," or nation. 
Secondly, the power of united forces is disproportion- 
ate to the numbers employed, as when eight horses in 
one team draw more than eight times as much as one 
will do, which we have seen. 

One writer has truly said, " One woman can make 
many men lewd," but the statement cannot be reversed 
if our position be correct, which is another illustration 
of woman's superior moral power. It is known, too, 
that in her is all latitude of extremes ; hence if she is 
given to vice and cruelty the result is terrible to be- 
hold ; and, despite the claims of moral improvement, 
such cases increase in number. But if she stands for 

THE RIGHT IT WILL PREVAIL. 

In view of the facts, principles and argument offered, 
we conclude that when this army of female political 
" driftwood " shall have united with the thousands of 
the other sex who are already familiar with political 



134 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

fraud and its kindred evils, the moral aspect of social 
and political affairs will not be a condition whereof any 
respectable society or organization will boast. But it 
may be said that this will be more than balanced by 
the votes of the good and influential class of female 
citizens, they being in majority. 

This looks well for theory, but will fail in practice 
for reasons that are fixed, and which man did not make, 
and if he is permitted to subvert them for a time, it 
will result in disaster to him and his best interests. 
One of those reasons is, that those women who are in all 
respects such as the Creator designed they should be in 
position, influence and action, as well as those who are 
intent on being so, would not run the risk of contam- 
ination by the evil they could not avoid mingling with, 
and which, at least, indirectly, they must more or less 
indorse in order to carry political points or measures. 

We have yet to learn that this class of women want 
the ballot, or indeed would use it to any considerable 
extent, albeit in some sparsely populated Territory with 
no large cities, and where men are often found to be 
gentle-men as well, and tobacco, rum and bribes are 
held in check, there might be success. 

Soon after General Butler became Governor of Mas- 
sachusetts, it was reported in the papers (though we 
have mislaid the account) that he was beset by the 
advocates of Woman's Suffrage for his influence in be- 
half of their cause. He readily assented to their the- 
ory as presented, with the proviso that the women 
interested should hold a Convention and formally ex- 
press a desire that a statute be made which would give 
the right of suffrage to women as it now gives to men. 

Such a meeting was held, and, according to the ac- 
count, a vote declared showing that only eight women 
desired the Woman's Suffrage law to use it ! General 
Butler's foresight and shrewd tact gained for him 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 135 

another point — just like him! We suspect that his 
thoughts meanwhile ran like Addison's when he wrote : 
" A stateswoman is as ridiculous a creature as a cot- 
quean." 

Of the female preachers, and leaders and helpers in 
missionary fields, it may be said that such employment 
is more in keeping with their sex and will naturally 
embrace a much greater number. Besides, the two oc- 
cupations noticed differ in that the politician or states- 
man must, more or less, associate himself with evil, 
while the missionary or preacher is a standing de- 
claimer against it. In such matters woman has ever 
been not only a moral power, but an efficient and ac- 
ceptable help. But she does no more need the ballot 
to properly modify modern politics, than the moon 
needs a lantern ! 

Hon. George F. Hoar, in his eloquent address before 
the Convention already noticed, after speaking of wo- 
man's influence and good judgment in matters of jus- 
tice, refers to the case of Pilate in the trial of our 
Saviour. From Matt. 27 : 19, we learn that after Pilate, 
the Governor, was set down on the judgment seat, his 
wife sent word to him, saying : " I have this day suf- 
fered many things in a dream on account of Him" 
(Jesus), and counselled him to "have nothing to do 
with that just man." 

It is clear that her message exerted some influence 
upon him, for although he had the crowd against him, 
those wicked, murderous church officials having per- 
suaded the multitude to destroy the Saviour, still, when 
they cried, " Crucify Him ! " Pilate pleaded for Him in 
asking, "Why, what evil hath He done?" And he left 
Him in their hands only when he found that he 
could not prevail against the riotous tumult which was 
made. 

We ask the reader to notice that the good influence 



136 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

exerted upon Pilate was by a woman who was 
neither a ruler nor a voter ; also the contrast in the case 
of a woman who was a voter in that realm two years 
before the occurrence just noticed. This was the 
daughter of Herodias, who had obtained a special right 
of suffrage direct from King Herod himself, so that she 
could vote away the " half of his kingdom " if she 
chose to do so. . And this was because her splendid 
dancing pleased the king ! 

Miss Herodias exercised her right of suffrage on the 
first opportunity. Before doing so, however, she 
consulted with a woman who was a murderer at heart, 
and this woman was her own mother ! ! Nevertheless, 
she advised her. And how did she vote? Was it for 
a 2*ood office for herself? For her mother? Did she 
vote for a title of honor, with riches and a splendid man- 
sion, having extensive surroundings of everything that 
was gloriously beautiful to behold, or a beautiful part- 
ner for life, having honors and riches at his command? 

Nothing could be further from the fact. She voted 
to have John the Baptist's head cut off, although he 
was then in prison for being good and reproving evil ! 
That vote was one majority over all opposition, and 
could not be challenged or contested ; so King Herod 
sent the executioner to the prison, and John the 
Baptist's head " was brought in a charger [or large 
dish] and given to the damsel ; and she brought it to 
her mother." 

In the first quotation from Bible history we see the 
effect of woman's influence in a single simple effort 
without human dictation ; and in the next example 
from the same source which we have noticed we have 
her influence with human dictation, and the result was 
a deliberate, cold-blooded murder, for which two women 
and A king were responsible ! ! But it satisfied the 
murderous ambition of a mother who should have given 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 137 

wise counsel to a daughter, when actually consulting 
her in the matter. This is not the first case of moral 
degradation, involving pain and death in the scheme, 
which has been effected by the operations of a wicked 
third party. We cannot forbear to notice the first and 
most remarkable example in the Bible, seeing that our 
illustrious friend has led us in that direction. It shows 
that woman's help was then, as it is now, more efficient 
in the accomplishment of moral and social good, as a 
" helpmate," than as a political ruler. 

If we succeed in making this important fact plain, and 
its one underlying principle clear in the minds of our 
readers, they will be relieved from any desire for a law 
the result of which would, in time, make society worse 
than it now is, instead of improving it. 

The case we are to notice is that of the first family 
in history — the man, Adam, and his beautiful wife, 
Eve. It was " not [considered] good for man to be 
alone," so a " helpmeet " was made for him, i. e., it was 
meet that he should have help, and help came ! And 
we learn that she had a place to fill — a great circle, as 
it were, wherein she should act as helpmate to the 
great enjoyment of herself and her model husband, 
of whom, in part, and for whom she was made ! 

It appears that so long as she moved in her sphere 
of life and action as helpmate, this first and fairest of 
brides, being placed amid moral, social, and physical 
things having God's stamp of " very good " placed upon 
them, was, with her husband, enjoying the very acme 
of human happiness. But this was too much prosper- 
ity. Alas ! how very few persons can bear prosperity 
for a month, though they can stand adversity for years ! 

This lovely wife had a woman's curiosity, and it ran 
upon that fruit which grew " in the midst of the gar- 
den." At this early point of time in their history a 
calamity befell them. A third party came upon the 



138 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

scene, and so cunning was his manner, with more than 
human speech, that a measure of tolerance was given 
hitn, when he at once flatly disputed the very impor- 
tant words of God to them, using abstract facts to carry 
his point — see Gen. 3:4, 5 — as Ingersoll and all op- 
posers of his kind do now. Such facts, i. e., abstracted 
facts, when concreted find their places, and when seen, 
go for what they really are ; but when abstracted are 
u out of their places, and are often given and taken for 
what they are not." 

Eve was pleased with the new philosophy so elo- 
quently advanced by the medium, or third party's 
proxy, and seeing the way to become Moral and Politi- 
cal Dictator, she resolved herself a Woman's Rights 
Convention, declared universal suffrage, and appointed 
the best woman on earth to exercise the privilege and 
authority claimed ! In doing so she sold not only her- 
self and" model husband, but the entire human family 
into sin, which, " when it is finished, bringeth forth 
death." [Not eternal misery.] James 1 : 15. 

This transaction pleased the third party, who still 
rejoices over the result of clairaudient mediumship in 
Eden which caused the banishment of the bridal pair 
from the most beautiful park that human beings ever 
set foot upon ! Beautiful it was, for God made it and 
planted in it everything that was good for the body and 
pleasing to the eyes. This was done expressly for the 
man whom He had made, and his good wife, Eve. See 
Gen. 2 : 8, 9, 10. Now if we consider that adaptation 
in the works of God is quite as wonderful as creation, 
then language will fail us if we attempt to describe the 
happiness which was realized in that lovely home. 
Moreover, we find that this magnificent situation was, 
practically, a wedding present ! See verse 15. 

Again, this wonderful garden or park was a place of 
safety. No ivy to poison, no insects to bite, no animals 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 139 

to tear flesh, or malarial poison to breathe, day or 
night. No annoyances by tramps, either biped or 
quadruped. Fair Eve could take a stroll in the woods, 
and if she met a tiger in the way she might pat his 
head and pet him freely, while he would enjoy her 
presence and her manners, and gladly accompany her 
at her call, or go back into the thicket at her bidding ! 
Or, if she were to stoop to pluck a dwarf rose, and a 
serpent lay coiled near it, she need not fear, for it 
would not bite, strike, or coil upon her, it being harm- 
less anywhere and at all times. 

If it be asked, how we may know this, we reply that 
animals as well as other things, after they were made, 
were reviewed and said to be good ; not only so, but 
they were pronounced very good. See Gen. 1 : 31. 
Again, man was given dominion over the entire animal 
kingdom, hence their subjection to him is taken for 
granted. See verses 26, 27. 

Here we have a glimpse of a state of moral and 
social blessedness which, considering the physical sur- 
roundings, has no equal in history ! And it continued 
with man and beast until one of their number — the 
serpent — became a mouth-piece or medium for Satan, 
of whom we shall speak elsewhere. He matured plans 
to break up the happiness of the family and to finally 
leave it in the hand of the destroyer, Death ! He is 
still in the business, which is increasing as court and 
mortuary records show at a glance. 

Admitting a third party's operations in disguise does 
not give us the immediate cause or the reason of that 
action, the reaction of which has not taken an hour's 
rest in Six Thousand years! What, then, was it? 
Three simple words in large type will answer the ques- 
tion : DESIRE TO RULE ! Now a din of voices join 
in objections; so we will consider these negatives by 
showing the affirmative side of the question. 



140 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

We said that Eve's curiosity was excited with regard 
to the nature and character of the tree having an in- 
junction pronounced in its favor, but this does not prove 
that she had no latent desire to rule ; indeed, it might 
pave the way to such a position by increasing her in- 
terest in the seance which had such a result in view. 
At the first sitting, or interview, with the medium, he 
told her that they should " be as gods," if they ate of 
the fruit which was denied them. See Chap. 3, ver. 5. 

Now, whether we consider the term, " gods," as mean- 
ing Deity, or imaginary deities, or even angels, as is 
sometimes the case, we must admit that it refers to 
beings of a higher order or position than man. And 
when we find in verses 5 and 6 that the medium asso- 
ciates knowledge and even wisdom with the term, we 
can easily see the idea of rule, or rulership, in it. 

This and other plausible assertions and promises 
which he made in eloquent speech were pleasing to the 
woman while she viewed his unique form and poly-poses 
[many positions] made by easy changes, and always in 
curves or coils ! His nicely fitting coat adorned with 
regular figures of bright tints and shades was also at- 
tractive, and when Eve looked into those pretty eyes 
sparkling with intelligence, said to have charming 
powers even under the curse, she was fascinated and 
fairly captivated ! 

Now think what rapid changes occurred in her mind 
from simple curiosity while continuing in obedience in 
the midst of perfect happiness, to a radical act of dis- 
obedience in which her companion soon joined ; and for 
which they were driven from their paradise state to one 
of only partial happiness, limited to a few years of 
time, and ending in death because of disobedience. 

Honest Skeptic, who watches for points in theology 
that he may criticise them, thinks he sees a weak place 
in our argument and attacks it thus : " If Eve was 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 141 

fascinated by the beauty, manners and eloquence of 
one of her subjects so as to be captivated, i. e., con- 
trolled against her natural belief and judgment, was she 
responsible ? " We answer, Yes ; and for four reasons : 

First. She was in possession of everything that could 
make a part of happiness, unless a vain desire for 
absolute rule should be indulged. 

Second. She understood her duty and the penalty of 
violating it, as seen in the fact of her repeating it in 
her first answer to the medium. See chap. 3 : verses 
2,3. 

Third. Her duty and the penalty as stated was flatly 
denied by the medium, ver. 5, which showed design on 
the face of it. Here her curiosity should have ended, 
and her rebuke by repeating God's command with the 
earnestness which her surroundings would suggest, 
should have begun ; for upon this his snaky medium- 
ship would have glided into the bushes and Paradise 
would have been saved ! The woman's curiosity be- 
came criminal when it joined with opposition to Para- 
dise rules and conditions ; hence her responsibility. 

Fourth. God never asks man to do that which he can- 
not perform with proper effort. 

In furtherance of our object we must consider Adam's 
position and character. He was made the director, or 
ruler, by divine authority, or statute. This is why that, 
although dominion was given him, he was himself a 
probationer. He had immortality to gain by obedience, 
or to realize mortality by disobedience. This being so, his 
trial by his fair companion must have been great, in- 
deed ; for we do not read that he was skeptical, dissatis- 
fied with his lot, or even curious enough to attend the 
seance which was held in his neighborhood, if he knew 
of it, though we think he did not. 

But the time came when the fatal temptation was 
presented and the stupendous difference between 



142 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

mortality and immortality trembled in the balance. 
His wife, deceived by the medium, had defied Almighty 
counsel and law, which being permitted for the time 
made her confident of victory over her husband, when 
the dream of her honeymoon would be realized ! 

Now it seldom happens that a bad wife makes her 
husband better, for misery does not enjoy isolation, and 
the woman possesses the stronger influence. Embold- 
ened by apparent success in plucking and eating of the 
tree, she now brings a portion to her husband that he 
may also eat of it. By this act she proves that she has 
trampled upon the law of God and would have him do 
the same. He must have looked upon the act with 
fear and sorrow. 

We think Adam must have soliloquized after this 
manner : " Oh, what a terrible temptation ! I am in 
the very midst of everything that is good, and even 
glorious to look upon. Here is nothing but happiness. 
Nothing but disobedience can terminate its duration, 
for we may ' eat of the tree of life and live forever.' 
But my dear companion has violated the command. 
Here is the evidence — the fruit in her hands ! Oh, why 
did she not counsel with me ? Why commit this great 
error and forfeit happiness which could be measured 
only by eternity ? She has a sterner look and manner 
now; still, as she offers that fine fruit to me, she is a 
model of beauty in her entirety. I love her companion- 
ship — in fact she is, after all, my bride, and / will ac- 
cept the offer and cast my lot with hers." 

Now he eats in disobedience and thus gives his life 
for his erring bride, for he becomes mortal (subject to 
death) and after many years dies ! — Gen. 5 : 5. 

Again, we are asked if Adam was responsible for his 
act, under the circumstances? We answer, he was. 
He understood his duty perfectly, and wanted nothing 
to make happiness complete. When confronted with 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 143 

a miniature "Woman's Rights and Suffrage" code of 
laws, already in force — having stolen a march on him — 
he could have stood on his dignity as chief magistrate 
of his realm, and then read or repeat the first riot act 
that was made for man in case he should attempt re- 
bellion. It is as follows : 

" Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat ; 
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou 
shalt not eat of it : for in the day that thou eatest 
thereof thou shalt surelv die." [Margin, dying, thou 
shalt die.'] Gen. 2 : 16, 17. 

Adam could take this position and hold it against all 
opposition and every contingency. Had he done so, 
his soliloquy would have embraced the idea that God 
could, if need be, provide him with another companion 
who might not turn " Suffragist," and attempt to drag 
him into death. 

For the benefit of the common reader, we say that 
if he will turn to the Scripture we have quoted, he will 
find a figure or sign near the clause, " mayest freely 
eat," which refers to a marginal reading in italic letters 
having the same authority as the text, and may be 
plainer to some minds. It reads, " eating, thou shalt 
eat ; " meaning not to eat once on that day, and then 
stop eating, but to continue to eat each day, from time 
to time. Had he continued to eat of that, and not of 
the other tree, he would have been living to-day. 

Again, the clause, " thou shalt surely die," makes a 
similar reference to the margin which reads, " dying, 
thou shalt die," meaning not that death should occur 
on that day, but that there should begin a decaying or 
dying condition that would result in death. This we 
prove by Gen. 5 : 5, and also by your own observation! 
And this sad state of things is the result of the action 
of a third party disguised, or, it may be said, a third 
party " under control," as we have sometimes stated. 



144 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

In either expression we understand that Satan is chief 
of the directing power which will be noticed in our 
Fourth Topic. 

We are told in Heb. 2:14, that the Devil — elsewhere 
called Satan — will be destroyed (not preserved), and 
we are assured that Death will share the same fate and 
at the same time. Rev. 20 : 14. Death is the third 
party's executioner, and is kept so busy day and night 
that his rest averages less than one second of time at 
each interval ! ! See statistics. 

Alas ! how much misery is caused when a third party 
having loose morals is allowed a hearing in family af- 
fairs, whether they be in guise or disguise, in Eden or 
this side of it. Every husband and wife should con- 
sider such creatures their worst enemies, no matter 
what their names or kinship may be. If they have 
human form it may not be best to treat them as you 
would treat vipers, though they be worse; but be sure they 
do not dwell with you. This advice, if heeded by 
young families, will be worth many times the price of 
this book to them. 

Returning to the Suffrage question, we quote a re- 
mark made by Mrs. R. S. Lillie in a lecture on " Wo- 
man Suffrage," as reported in the Banner of Light, May 
28,1887. She said: 

Woman should study the law of the land, and study politics, 
as dirty as it is. She can carry it on successfully. 

Without doubt, Mrs. Lillie's proposition counts in 
every woman in the land — certainly all who can read 
and write. It will not except the ideal woman of the 
Gospel, neither that of Forest Greenfield, which we 
have already noted — not even our own ideal woman ! 
Nevertheless, we conclude that the classes we have 
named will be slow to accept the proposition, seeing 
that our fair lecturer has so frankly and very properly 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 145 

admitted the subject in question to be a " dirty " 
one ! 

The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, April 8, 1887, 
after commenting upon a recent lecture by Mrs. Isabella 
Beecher Hooker, who would reorganize the police force 
by making a woman the superintendent, gives the 
following abstract of her argument : 

Every officer of this force should be a lady or a gentleman in 
the best sense of the word — clean within and clean without, 
avoiding vulgar or profane language and indulging in neither 
liquor nor tobacco. The superintendent, she suggested, should 
have power to order out the fire department in case of riots and 
turn the hose on recalcitrant mobs. Every member of the force 
should be trained in the use of fire-arms, and ordered to shoot 
in the leg when necessary to shoot at all. 

The conclusion reached in the article quoted is that 
the united majorities of intelligent voters under Woman 
Suffrage would diminish the influence of the illiterate 
minority, and thus insure better laws for the people. 
This theory may at first sight seem plausible — even 
clear to many minds. But let us ask a few questions. 
Do illiterate men draft bad laws ? Do none but illiterate 
men vote for such laws ? Does this class alone attempt 
to buy councils and legislatures ? Do they monopolize 
the " stuffing " of ballot-boxes ? Do no others get their 
weak acquaintances drunk and thus secure their votes ? 

If these questions do not let the bottom out of the 
theory, we will ask : If it be a question of intelligence 
only, how can bad laws be made, seeing the majority 
of voters are already intelligent ? That it is a question 
of character of the intelligent class, rather than of 
intelligence of the illiterate voters, we think can be 
clearly seen without a lantern ! The first point gained, 
the second will follow. 

The press has furnished several accounts of the recent 
Kansas Woman's Suffrage experiment. We can only 
10 



146 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

notice one or two editorials, which we think may suffice. 
The Philadelphia Record comments upon it as follows: 

Know-nothingism has achieved a victory in Kansas of which 
its fanatical heroes are doubtless proud. The new act of the 
Kansas Legislature which gives to women the right of suffrage 
in all local elections authorizes the local authorities to exclude 
from registration as voters all women who, unfortunately for 
themselves, were not born in this country. In Atchison and 
other Kansas towns the foreign-born wives and daughters of 
naturalized citizens and taxpayers are excluded from the 
registration lists, while ignorant negro women are enfranchised 
because of the privilege of birth. The cause of this proscrip- 
tion is said to be the fear of a Prohibitionist, Legislature that 
the foreign-born women might vote with their husbands on the 
liquor question at all municipal elections. It would be interest- 
ing to learn what is thought of this kind of legislation by the 
Kansas statesman who presides over the Senate of the United 
States. 

The Camden (N. J.) Courier, April 13, 1887, also 
discusses the situation as follows : 

The experiment of woman suffrage in Kansas at the recent 
local elections showed some singular results. Under the new 
law of Kansas all women of the regular citizen age were 
entitled to vote. It has been claimed that, if the women were 
made legal voters, the better classes, the more intelligent, 
would avail themselves of the privilege as freely as the more 
ignorant and less competent, and that they would vote in favor 
of all measures and candidates in the interest of good morals 
and sobriety. But this did not prove to be the case in some of 
the Kansas towns and cities where the women did vote. In 
Wichita, where about six hundred women were on the registry 
lists, a majority of them voted for the worst candidate for Mayor, 
and he was elected. In Leavenworth the women who claim to 
be and are regarded as leaders in ' high society,' went to the polls 
and voted for the anti-temperance candidate, and he was elected. 
In several places few of the educated and better class of women 
voted, but a majority of the women of the more ignorant class 
did vote, and carried the day. Evidently the sisters are a good 
deal like the brethren when it comes to politics, ' mighty on- 
sartin,' and there is room for doubt as to the sure purification 






ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 147 

of American politics through the agency of female suffrage. The 
result in this instance will only tend to confirm still more 
strongly in their views those who hold to ' the higher right of 
women not to vote.' The introduction of wheedling, coaxing 
and other female blandishments as electioneering influences is 
bad enough, but when to these are added, as at Atchison, 
scandal mongering, gossip, backbiting and caste feeling, society 
at large, and the women in particular, may well ask to be saved 
from the innovation. Pandora's box will be realized in the 
ballot box when sexual influences shall come to add their weight 
to partisan contentions. 

The more we study the Woman Suffrage question, 
and see the effects of its influence on men, women, and 
children in the light of social facts and criminal statis- 
tics, the more are we satisfied that its success, except in 
educational matters, will make bad women no better, 
while it will fearfully demoralize many who otherwise 
would have remained respectable, and perhaps efficient 
workers among the fallen. 

Oh, ye ministers of Christ ! Have you been helping 
on this work which, however well meant as a theory, 
will bring sorrow, misery and death with it, in many 
cases to your children and the children of others ? If 
so, do reconsider your action and consider the power of 
your influence, and when you see the enemy making a 
" cat's-paw " of woman only to repeat the policy which 
he pursued in Eden, be ready to read the riot act, as 
Adam should have done ! 

The following editorial paragraph is from the Phila- 
delphia Evening Bulletin, of April 6, 1892. We insert 
it here, as it shows what can be done at the polls under 
Woman Suffrage laws. It says : 

Women are queer creatures. In Bloomington, 111., where they 
are allowed to vote in school elections, a Mrs. Raymond was a 
candidate for re-election as city superintendent of schools. The 
conspicuous feature of her administration had been the persist- 
ency with which she turned men out of desirable positions and 
turned women in, — a course which should have endeared her 



148 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

to members of her own sex. But it did nothing of the kind. 
At the election yesterday over 2,000 of these went to the polls 
and elected a male successor to what they called the " petticoat 
regime." If republics are not ungrateful, some of the women 
who live in them are, and some of these evidently live in 
Illinois. 

Our readers will please compare the foregoing argu- 
ments and facts with answers from the " spirits," as 
claimed in Spirit Teachings, in this work. 

We will now present a few claims made by represent- 
ative parties, and then briefly consider the advantage 
gained, if any. \_The capitals in the several quotations 
are oursJ] 

I do not know of any cause in the world's history that has 
spread more within a lifetime than has this cause of Woman in 
this country. I remember distinctly when there were not half 
a dozen avocations open to Woman, and when the obstacles to 
her participation in active business life were insurmountable. 
The expansion of Woman's sphere of usefulness, the increase 
of compensation and of influence have been marvellous. — Susan 
B. Anthony, in Banner of Light, February, 1887. 

Spiritualism has done more for the advancement of true 
womanhood than the Church, or any of its accessories. — 
Dr. Watson, at the Re-union of Spiritualists, at Cincinnati, Ohio. 
See Banner of Light, April 16, 1887. 

Spiritualism has distinguished itself above all other sys- 
tems yet known to the world, by its acknowledgment of the 
importance of woman's place in the world's advancement. 
Mrs. C. L. V. Richmond, in the Banner of Light, Dec. 20, 1884. 

We decidedly believe that in giving the ballot to Woman, 
mankind would be immeasurably benefited ; but it is not alto- 
gether a question of benefit, it is one of right, of absolute justice. 
" Spirit control " of Miss M. T. Shelhamer, at the public seance 
held in the Banner of Light office. See Banner of Light, May 7, 
1887. 

Near the beginning of this Topic we introduced the 
Resolutions which were passed in the Massachusetts 
State Convention of Spiritualists in favor of Woman's 
Suffrage. After reviewing the claims set forth at some 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 149 

length, we have followed with the claims made by sev- 
eral lecturers, and lastly, that of a " spirit " through its 
medium, Miss Shelhamer, as above quoted. In adding, 
or bringing these claims together, we find they make a 
claim which is of vast importance in the moral and 
social world. Now if we sum up the effect of forty- 
six years effort put forth by Lucy Stone, forty-five of 
which were in connection with Modern Spiritualism, 
which now claims the lead, we shall be able to " com- 
pare accounts," and note the result. 

Surely we ought to find woman's condition, with 
chances or prospects in life, much improved after such 
an effort, and in the presence of such strong claims. 
With the greatly increased chances for women and chil- 
dren to labor, comes an appalling increase of male 
" bummers," loafers, tramps and criminals. When good 
men and women see how they have by their influence 
helped to bring about such a state of social and moral 
things, we think their faces will blanche for very shame ! 
If this be thought a very hard saying, please read the 
statistics given in this work, and also the daily papers. 

Let us take a practical view of the results, in the 
light of authentic accounts, our own observation, and 
of Court Reports. 

We shall find that a goodly number of girls and wo- 
men are well disposed, industrious, somewhat intellec- 
tual, and have a fair share of favorable circumstances 
which will encourage and enable them to meet good 
husbands, and this means good homes as well. By ex- 
ertion, economy and " temperance in all things," they 
find life worth living — in fact, a happy success. 

But many with unfavorable surroundings, although 
as well disposed and having as high aspirations, find in. 
the absence of counsel from good and wise parents that 
discouragements and temptations are hard, very hard 
to bear. Very many place confidence in fair prom- 



150 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ises made by designing apologies for men whom they 
marry, and who long since were wedded to bad habits, 
only to be increased when sickness, children, or other 
trials which always sandwich the fair biscuit of matri- 
mony, shall demand their attention, and which should 
have their best judgment and patience in love. 

They, however, lacking those qualities which are as- 
sociated with moral principle, deceive, dissipate, abuse, 
and finally desert their companions and children, and 
make new conquests, or join company with other men's 
wives whose characters are worse than their own. Not 
a few become reckless, and treat their wives to cruel 
blows until they make a separation, and after a while 
are visited by the monsters, only to be murdered by 
them if they decline further companionship! Indeed, 
all classes of women are liable to be murdered if they re- 
fuse an offer of marriage in these days ! 

Now we inquire candidly, and earnestly, of our 
venerable readers, if such a state of things existed 
forty-five years ago? Why, it was scarcely thought of 
by the worst class of men, but now it is quite common ! 

Jealousy, too, is so often a factor in terrible tragedies 
that women are concerned in — usually as victims — that 
we must give it a passing notice. Jealousy is a state 
of feeling — a condition of the mind, whether in man or 
beast. The cow, being jealous of the peace and com- 
fort of her calf on seeing a dog come near, giveshim an 
oscillating tilt sky-ward on her beautiful horns. She 
does not wait for injury to occur, but allowing her nat- 
ural caution to bestir her instinctive care for her young, 
she at once proceeds to business ; hence the dog's aerial 
voyage ! 

So with man. We have an account of a hunter who 
had occasion to leave his cabin for a time, and left his 
faithful dog to guard it. On returning to his cabin, he 
found the cradle upset, and the dog besmeared with 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 151 

blood ! His jealousy of the dog turned instantly into 
rage, when, with deadly aim, he shot and killed him. 
A moment later he discovered that a wolf had entered 
the cabin, and his faithful dog had dispatched him, but 
in doing so had upset the cradle, though the little child 
was on the ground unhurt! Like the cow, that man 
did not wait for facts, and his remorse was dreadful 
indeed. 

Jealousy is not a result of known facts ; it cannot 
be so under any circumstances, any more than faith 
can be certain perception or knowledge. When 
knowledge comes, faith is absorbed, or drops into it 
— is lost — vanishes, or simply speaking, is not. So, a 
known fact is no part of jealousy, neither is jealousy 
any part of known facts. Jealousy is born of selfish- 
ness and envy ; it is apprehensive and very suggestive ; 
it suggests probabilities, and even possibilities that 
would oppose the common, or some special self-inter- 
est of him who tolerates that condition of mind. 

Now, if he seizes his reasoning faculties — so to speak 
— and tucks them into his pocket, the rest of his fac- 
ulties will stamp the evil suggestion with fact. It will 
be readily seen that he will at once act as if it were a 
fact, because he so accepts and understands it ; hence, 
like the cow, he will have a raving desire to toss an im- 
aginary foe ; and this shows how unreasonable, hateful, 
foolish, cowardly and cruel is jealousy ! Why, a jeal- 
ous man's sneaking and detestable attitude and actions 
prove at once that he has been foolish enough to quietly 
cast away his manhood, and become a " cat's paw " for 
the Devil ! Moral : Dont do it. 

We have tried to show how odious is the perversion 
of the good and natural faculty of reasonable cautious- 
ness, when turned into jealousy, as we use the term; 
and we may only mention the subject of divorce to 
the modern reader, to cause him to associate jealousy 



152 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

with it. If we again ask our aged readers whether 
these things were so common forty-five years ago, they 
can but answer : a We never saw it on this fashion." 

It is easy to see how a low state of morals may lead 
the young to start in life bad, and continue to grow 
worse until quarrels, assaults, jealousies, adulteries, di- 
vorces — often by pistol or rope — increase the business 
of Courts and crowd the spacious prisons to overflow- 
ing ! Moreover, the awful business has increased faster 
than the population during the last four or five decades. 

Careful, constant readers know that our presentation 
is not overdrawn — indeed we have endeavored to con- 
fine our data within the lines of woman's experience — 

Obstacles which she must surely meet 
And overcome by principle and tact : 

Or, # failing in this, her wandering feet 
Will lead her to sorrow and ruin in fact. 

We will state the situation so clearly that it will not 
be questioned if audited by statistics in the hands of 
the retiring generation. 

Forty-five years ago, the average young lady had 
as good a chance by marriage to become rich, as riches 
were reckoned then, as now. She stood a fair chance 
to have a homestead and business owned in pleasant 
partnership and paid for, and but a small risk to be 
cruelly treated or murdered. 

Now, the average young lady has no better chance 
to marry and become rich, as riches are reckoned now, 
than forty-five years ago; and her chance to have a 
homestead and a business, owned and paid for, is much 
less than at that time, while her chance to be cruelly 
treated or murdered, is much greater ! 

We can now state the terrible fact, that in spite of 
all legal, moral, and religious restraints and influences 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 153 

that have been brought to bear upon society in these 
days and years of boasted civilization, which have em- 
braced the entire effort of Woman's Rights agitation ; 
Woman's Suffrage laws in operation in several States 
and Territories ; and the persistent effort and constant 
operation and co-operation of the system of Modern 
Spiritualism which has presented moral and social 
claims of great magnitude — women's lives are not as 

SAFE AS THEY WERE FORTY-FIVE YEARS AGO, NOR ARE THEIR 
AVERAGE REAL PROSPECTS IN LIFE SO FAVORABLE ! 

We will now conclude this argument by introducing 
two articles of more recent date. The first is from the 
Philadelphia Record, Aug. 9, 1891: 

A POWERFUL ARTICLE BY MRS. E. LYNN LINTON IN ASSAULT UPON 
THE SUFFRAGISTS OF ALL LANDS. 

Here is the sum and substance of an article that is just now 
catching the eye of the world. It is from the pen of Mrs. E. 
Lynn Linton, and appears in the current Nineteenth Century. 
Mrs. Linton's subject is : " The Wild Women as Politicians." 
She says : 

All women are not always lovely, and the wild women never 
are. As political firebrands and moral insurgents they are spe- 
cially distasteful, warring as they do against the best traditions, 
the holiest functions, and the sweetest qualities of their sex. 
Like certain u sports " which develop hybrid characteristics, 
these insurgent wild women are in a sense unnatural. They 
have not " bred true " — not according to the general lines on 
which the normal woman is constructed. There is in them a 
curious inversion of sex, which does not necessarily appear in 
the body, but is evident enough in the mind. 

Quite as disagreeable as the bearded chin, the bass voice, flat 
chest and lean hips of a woman who has physically failed in 
her rightful development, the unfeminine ways and works of 
the wild women of politics and morals are even worse for the 
world in which they live. Their disdain is for the duties and 
limitations imposed on them by nature, their desire as impos- 
sible as that of the moth for the star. Marriage, in its old- 
fashioned aspect as the union of two lives, they repudiate as a 
one-sided tyranny ; and maternity, for which, after all, women 
primarily exist, they regard as degradation. Their idea of free- 



154 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

dom is their own preponderance, so that they shall do all they 
wish to do without let or hindrance from outside regulations 
or the restraints of self-discipline ; their idea of morality, that 
men shall do nothing they choose to disallow. 

woman's reason for being. 

Be it pleasant or unpleasant, it is none the less an absolute 
truth — the raison d'etre of a woman is maternity. For this, 
and this alone, nature has differentiated her from man, and 
built her up cell by eell and organ by organ. The continuance 
of the race in healthy reproduction, together with the fit nour- 
ishment and care of the young after birth, is the ultimate end 
of woman as such ; and whatever tells against these functions, 
and reduces either her power or her perfectness, is an offense 
against nature and a wrong done to society. If she chooses to 
decline her natural office altogether, and to dedicate to other 
services a life which has no sympathy with the sex of human- 
ity, that comes into her lawful list of preferences and discords. 

THE GREAT IDEAL IN WESTERN LANDS. 

We live by our ideals. Individually they may fall into the 
dust of disappointment, and the flower of poetic fancy may 
wither away into the dry grass of disillusion. Nevertheless, 
the race goes on cherishing its ideals, without which, indeed, 
life would become too hard and sordid for us all. And one of 
these ideals in all Western countries is the home. Home means 
peace. It means, too, love. Perhaps the two are synonymous. 

IMPORTANCE OF THE HOME. 

In the normal division of labor the man has the outside work 
to do, from governing the country to tilling the soil ; the 
woman takes the inside, managing the family and regulating 
society. 

Part of this ideal of home is the rest it gives the man when 
he returns to it after a hard day's work in the open — a hard 
day's struggle in the arena. Here his thoughts drift into a 
smoother channel, his affections have their full outlet, and to 
his wife and children he brings as much happiness as he re- 
ceives. The darker passions which the contests of life arouse 
are shut out ; the sweeter influences of the family, the calmer 
interests of the intellect, the pleasures of art and society re- 
main. 

SHALL HOME BE DESTROYED? 

We are speaking of the ideal, to which we all in some sort 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 155 

aspire, and in which we believe — for others if not for ourselves. 
When we have come to think of it as mere moonshine we have 
achieved our own spiritual death ; when we have acted and 
legislated as if it were moonshine we have decreed our national 
degradation. 

WOMEN ARE EXTREME. 

Women are both more extreme and more impressible than 
men, and the spirit which made weak girls into heroines and 
martyrs, honest women into the yelling tricoteuses of those 
blood-stained saturnalia of '92, still exists in the sex ; and among 
ourselves as elsewhere. 

THE HUSBANDS OF THE " WILD." 

Sex is in circumstance as well as in body and in mind. We 
date from our fathers, not our mothers ; and the shield they won 
by valor counts to us still for honor. But the miserable little 
mannikin who creeps to obscurity, overshadowed by his wife's 
glory, is as pitiful in history as contemptible in fact. " The 
husband of his wife" is no title to honor; and the best and 
dearest of our famous women take care that this shall not be 
said of them and theirs. The wild women, on the contrary, 
burke their husbands altogether ; and even when they are not 
widows act as if they were. 

Such political women as the world have seen have not all 
been desirable. Some have earned the blue riband of renown ; 
but these have been women who have influenced, not ruled. 

IN AMERICA, FOR INSTANCE. 

By the very nature of things, by the inherent qualities of their 
sex — its virtues, defects, necessities — women are at once tyranni- 
cal and individual. In America, when they get the upper 
hand, they wreck the grog-shops and forbid the sale of all 
liquor whatever. And these women who thus destroy a man's 
property and ruin his fortunes in their zeal for sobriety may 
saturate themselves with tea, ether or chloral, to the destruc- 
tion of their health and nerves. They may resort to all sorts 
of perilous experiments to prevent unwelcome results ; but these 
are their own affairs, and the men have no right to interfere. 

A TYRANNOUS TEMPER. 

This tyrannous temper is part of the maternal instinct which 
women have inherited for such countless generations. No 
authority in the world is so absolute, so irresponsible, as that 
of a mother over her young children. She can make or mar 



156 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

them, physically and morally, as she will — as she thinks best. 
Even in the most highly civilized communities, where the laws 
are strictest and most vigilant, she can, if she so chooses, doom 
them to death by her bad management, or educate them on 
such false lines as lead to moral depravity. By the depth and 
strength of the maternal instinct is the race preserved, and by 
this alone; and the absolute authority of the mother is the 
child's safest shield. 

ONE-SIDEDNESS OF MIND. 

But this very characteristic is fatal to political life, to gen- 
eralized justice, to the suppression of sections for the good of 
the whole. The political woman repudiates all this as so much 
paltering with the Evil One. The general good is nowhere when 
compared with partial inconveniences. We have seen this 
notably exemplified in our own generation, when excited 
partisanship put its hand to the plow, rooting out wise legisla- 
tion on the one hand and sowing poisonous immunities on the 
other. And so it will ever be with women while they retain 
their distinctive womanly qualities. 

A QUESTION OF SCIENCE. 

This question of woman's political power is from beginning 
to end a question of sex, and all that depends on sex — its moral 
and intellectual limitations, its emotional excesses, its personal 
disabilities, its social conditions. It is a question of science, as 
purely as the best hygienic conditions or the accurate under- 
standing of physiology. And science is dead against it ! 

The following very interesting article is from the 
New York Sun, as quoted in the Philadelphia Bulletin, 
Dec. 14, 1891 :— 

WOMEN AND THE BALLOT. 

On June 14, 1878, Senator Wadleigh, who was a member of 
the Committee on Privileges and Elections, made a report to the 
United States Senate concerning a proposed constitutional 
amendment forbidding the United States or any State to deny 
or abridge the right to vote on account of sex. The adoption 
of this amendment, conferring the elective franchise on women 
indiscriminately, would, the report declared, make "several 
millions of female voters, totally inexperienced in political 
affairs, quite generally dependent on the other sex ; all incapable 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 157 

of performing military duty, and without the power to enforce 
the laws which their numerical strength may enable them to 
make ; and comparatively few of whom wish to assume the irk- 
some and responsible political duties which this measure thrusts 
upon them." 

The committee also cited the fact that though the names 
signed on the petition for woman suffrage were procured 
through the efforts of woman suffrage societies, having active 
and zealous managers, and although the ease with which signa- 
tures may be procured is well known, but 30,000 names were 
appended to the paper presented to Congress. At the demand 
of so small a fraction of the population, the committee reported 
that " it would be unjust, unwise and impolitic to impose this 
burden on the great mass of women throughout the country, 
who do not wish for it, in order to gratify comparatively few 
who do." 

Calling attention to the fact that any State so desiring may 
grant the right of suffrage to women, the committee added that 
without female suffrage, legislation has improved and still is 
improving the condition of women. 

" The disabilities imposed upon her by the common law have, 
one by one, been swept away, until in most of the Spates she has 
the full right to her property, and all, or nearly all, the rights 
which can be granted without impairing or destroying the mar- 
riage relation. These changes have been wrought by the spirit 
of the age, and are not, generally at least, the result of any agi- 
tation by women in their own behalf. Nor can women justly 
complain of any partiality in the administration of justice. 
They have the sympathy of judges and particularly of juries, to 
an extent which would warrant loud complaint on the part of 
their adversaries of the sterner sex. Their appeals to Legisla- 
tures against injustice are never unheeded, and there is no doubt 
that when any considerable part of the women of any State 
really wish for the right to vote it will be granted without the 
intervention of Congress." 

The conclusions of the committee were agreed to, and a strik- 
ing and apposite illustration has recently been afforded of the 
soundness of the view which they adopted. It is found in Mas- 
sachusetts, the State from which the chief demand for woman 
suffrage emanated in 1878, in which, to a qualified extent, suf- 
frage has been accorded to women, under certain restrictions, 
in the choice of school officers, in the performance of whose du- 
ties women are intimately and deeply concerned. 

The Boston Herald furnishes the figures of the registry, and 
they show that in 1888 the total number of intending female 



158 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

voters in Boston was 20,252 ; in 1889 it was but 10,589 ; in 1890 
it sank to 7,985, and this year's (1891) total falls below 6,000. 

In other words, the right of suffrage is neither much sought 
nor cherished by women. Women do not vote because there is 
no necessity for voting. Their legal rights are protected, their 
interests promoted, their influence acknowledged, and their 
wishes complied with, by the ballot in the hands of father, hus- 
band, brother or son, as the case may be. If it were riot so, the 
demand for female suffrage would have a sound basis, and the 
demand for it would be indeed resistless. As it is, women are 
not concerned about the extension to them of the franchise, 
which has been seen, in every case, to entail new responsibilities 
of a serious and irksome sort, while proposing to confer only 
the most unsubstantial and evanescent of political benefits. 

Now we think our showing of facts — including sta- 
tistics which we subjoin — do far more than balance 
the great claims of Modern Spiritualism in the very 
important matter of woman's moral and social con- 
dition and prospect in life ; hence we conclude they are 
not founded on reliable data, and therefore must reject 
them. 

We come now to notice the sweeping claims of Mod- 
ern Spiritualism for moral and social good, or goodness, 
in A broad sense ; that is, as an Instructor and " Re- 
former" of mankind, and indeed "of the world." 

The following is so much of the Twentieth article in 
the " Declaration of Principles" — -see Sixth Topic — as 
pertains directly to moral principles : 

The hearty and intelligent convictions of these truths [Teach- 
ings of " Spirits" — Author] tend ... to energize the s»ul in all 
that is good and elevating, and to restrain from all that is evil 
and impure, ... to quicken all philanthropic impulses, stimu- 
lating to enlightened and unselfish labors for universal good. 

Some claims by prominent lecturers will now be no- 
ticed. [The capitals in the series are ours.] 

Spiritualism is the Saviour of humanity, because it is reach- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 159 

ing out towards the criminal, and in its effort to lift humanity 
to a higher plane, it is laying the foundation for future genera- 
tions. . . . Spiritualism comes to cleanse out the dregs and 
wretchedness of humanity. Miss A. L. Lull, in the Religio- 
Philosophical Journal, Jan. 23, 1886. 

Christianity never had a Pentecost to be compared with 
Modern Spiritualism. The latter is as far in advance of the 
former as the electric light is in the advance of the tallow dip 
of the past, for it is Nineteen centuries ahead of it. Mrs. R. S. 
Lillie, in a speech at the Thirty-eighth Anniversary services in 
Horticultural Hall, Boston. See Banner of Light, April, 1886. 

In his discourse on the Thirty-ninth Anniversary of 
Modern Spiritualism, at Bridgeport, Conn., Prof. Peck 
said : 

Time and time again Spiritualism has been pronounced dead, 
but it continues its marvellous growth. It has made converts 
of more scientific men and profound thinkers than any other 
sect in the world. In thirty-nine years it has grown to Ten or 
Fifteen Millions of believers, with thousands of mediums, a 
literature printed in every known language, and converts in 
every quarter of the globe. Its principal paper, the Banner of 
Light, has more subscribers than any religious paper printed. 

" Spiritualism had" he said, "produced some wonderful in- 
ventions to benefit mankind, and had done more to advance civil- 
ization and the Arts and Sciences in Thirty-nine years than any other 
cause ! One of its most important achievements was the free- 
ing of the slaves. Abraham Lincoln was a believer in Spirit- 
ualism, AND FREED THE SLAVES AT THIS REQUEST OF ' SPIRITS.' " 

See Banner of Light, April 9, 1887. 

We ask our readers to review the claims and prom- 
ises above quoted, and keep them in mind while they 
examine the data and statistics which follow these re- 
marks. Please consider and remember that neither the 
claims nor the statistics are our careless say-sos. We 
give you our authority. The great subject is condensed 
into a few pages of type impressions which the eye 
translates to or transfers upon the mind as a momen- 
tous question of vital importance to every accountable 



160 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

being in the land, and indeed in the world! Consider 
well and act wisely. 

Prof. Peck claims that Spiritualism " has made more 
converts of scientific men and profound thinkers than 
any other sect in the world — has Ten or Fifteen Mil- 
lions of believers, and literature in every known lan- 
guage." 

Now, although- we can give great latitude in this 
direction, it must be admitted that this is a sweeping 
claim — one which will promptly suggest the question — 
Where are your institutions of Science and Literature ? 
We have for years watched the " press " for information 
on this question, and find very few notices of the kind. 
The first one we clipped from Light for Thinkers, Oct. 
16, 1886, and reads as follows : 

Dr. B. Franklin Clark writes us that Belvidere Seminary, in 
Belvidere, N. J., under the management of the well-known 
Spiritualists, the Misses Bush, is "the only one of its kind, and 
is neglected by Liberals, and boycotted by the Orthodox." 
Such a school should be well patronized by Spiritualists and all 
liberal-minded people. 

The second is a paragraph from the Banner of Light, 
June 4, 1887, which says : 

The last number of Revista de Estudios Psicologicos announces 
the opening, at Madrid, of a Spiritual College for young ladies. 
It has been founded by Sefiora Eusebia Gomez, and will be un- 
der the direction of Dr. Huelves Temprado. 

We know of no others of the kind — one in the United 
States and one in Spain. The Professor also claims that 
Spiritualism " has done more to advance civilization 
and the arts and sciences in thirty -nine years than any 
other cause," and that " the Banner of Light has more 
subscribers than any religious paper printed." 

It cannot be thought strange that irreligious, or sec- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 161 

ular papers should have greater circulation than reli- 
gious journals, although we have authority for stating 
that the weekly average of the Christian Herald was 
at that time " close upon 45,000 copies." 

Now, after Forty-five years effort with a system 
claimed to be superior to Christianity, and attended 
with such results as claimed, or even much less, we 
think it reasonable to demand a showing of moral im- 
provement in society in those countries and localities 
where its teachings and wonderful phenomena are 
known — for real phenomena are really wonderful. They 
are very different from professional jugglery, in that you 
wonder what does them, while in jugglery you simply 
wonder how it is done. Altogether, we should expect a 
good report. Shall we have it? Are there available 
data from which to compile it? We have to say that 

FACTS MAKE UP A TERRIBLE NEGATIVE ! 

In order to give our readers the facts referred to, we 
have spent much time in selecting statistics and other 
data from more than one thousand clippings which we 
have at hand. In using them we have chosen such as 
have evidence of correctness in detail and date — all 
doubtful ones being rejected. They cover thirty years 
well, and some of them more, comprising the United 
States, as a whole, and the majority of them singly ; 
and also, the larger cities. European countries and 
cities are noted as well — all showing that crime has in- 
creased faster than the population ! 

Those who lack moral courage to face such a line of 
criminal statistics, and who are inclined to pass them 
by in disgust, should remember that the more they do 
so, the harder will it be for their children to meet them, 
for meet them they must. Then study them carefully, 
and counsel the loved ones in wisdom. The why, and 
the outcome of it will be briefly given elsewhere. 

We have already remarked that misery does not en- 
11 



162 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

joy isolation, so it may cheer somebody's moral loneli- 
ness to know that the nations on the other continent 
are wicked also, hence we will notice some of them. 
" Carleton," of the Boston Journal, when on his tour 
round the world, wrote to that paper from Munich, the 
capital of Bavaria. In a letter dated May 20, 1867, 
he says : 

Notwithstanding the degree of education and the attention 
outwardly to religion, morality is at low water mark. In this 
city the number of illegitimate births exceeds those born in 
wedlock ! In other parts of the kingdom about twenty-five per 
cent, of the births are illegitimate. 

A sad state of things, truly ; but he soon writes 
again from Vienna, the capital of the Austrian Empire, 
under date of May 26, 1867, as follows : 

Half a million of people dwell here, and make up a licentious 
and dissolute city. There are from fifteen to twenty thousand 
children here who have the Imperial Government for their 
father, and the world for their mother! So many upon an 
average on the hands of the Government all the time. Five 
thousand births per annum — sixteen each day throughout the 
year! The grave swallows them by the thousands, but the 
little cribs in the Foundling Hospital are never empty. Some 
weather the storms of childhood, and what a childhood ! 
Their home, the walls of a Foundling Hospital — no mother; no 
father ; no growth of the heart's affections ; no home ; waifs 
they are, on the shores of time — the outcasts of sin. 

The church takes some of them into her service, instructs 
them in the dead languages as if their hearts were not dry 
enough already, gives them a dry and hard theology, and as if 
they were not sufficiently mortified, teaches them to mortify the 
flesh by shaving the head, walking barefoot in midwinter and 
wearing hair shirts — making monks of them and sending them 
out to beg bread. The army takes its share. Some are put out 
to trades. A few of the many are acknowledged by the parents 
and taken from the hospital. 

We clipped these articles from the current numbers 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 163 

of the Boston Journal, little thinking we should find 
them so interesting and useful twenty-six years hence. 

But they have been of some use to us in a moral sense, 
and may in turn prove a means to make our children 
better by their properly studying them in connection 
with more modern statistics, and trying to heed the 
warning they give us. 

A clipping from the Philadelphia Record in 1883 is 
headed — 

CRIME IN FRANCE. 

Recent statistics issued by the French Government exhibit a 
startling increase in crime of all sorts. The facts show that the 
greater number of criminals are between the ages of sixteen and 
twenty-five years. From 1872 to 1882 the number of habitual 
criminals sentenced to penal servitude increased nearly fifty 
per cent., or from 12,953 to 18,012. During the latter year the 
grand total of the condemned numbered 80,818. In towns of 
upward of 100,000 population the annual ratio in criminals is 33 
per 10,000. But in towns of less than 30,000 it falls to 16 per 
10,000. 

In Paris the ratio is above the highest figure, being 50 per 
10.000! Of all criminals only 35 were sentenced to capital 
punishment, and 31 of these had their sentences commuted by 
President Grevy. One in every 200 of the population of Paris 
seems a large proportion of criminals. 

The West Jersey Press, May 23, 1877, gives the 
following statistics : 

In Prussia, out of 1,000 births 120 are illegitimate ; in Southern 
Germany, 200 out of 1,000 are illegitimate. In France, the 
illegitimate births are but 70 in 1,000; in England they are but 
50. In Upper Austria the proportion is 213 births to 1,000 ; 
in Lower Austria. 305, in Carinthia nearly every other child 
is illegitimate, or 456 to 1,000 ! ! 

This is a province of the Austrian Empire containing 
over 300,000 inhabitants and who at that time led in 
social " don't-care " law and order, or, rather, disorder. 

Where there is much high crime we find much 
intemperance ; and a clipping from a local paper will 



164 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

introduce the subject in connection with other crimes, 
and is as follows : 

According to the Cologne Gazette not less than 10,000 persons 
perish wretchedly in the horrors of delirium tremens every year 
in Germany. There are 11,000 saloons in Berlin. In Prussia 
the average quantity of beer annually consumed is from twenty 
to twenty-five gallons per capita, and of ardent spirits about 
three gallons. In 1869 there were 120,000 saloons in Prussia. 
In 1880 there were 165,000, or about one for every 92 inhabi- 
tants. Of the crimes committed in Prussia during the last five 
years, 41 per cent, were committed under the influence of liquor, 
and it is estimated that half of the pauperism is attributed to 
the same cause. Now let us hear no more from apologists of 
the liquor traffic about the example of Germany in favor of the 
" safe and wholesome use of beer and wines." Let the awful 
picture of wretchedness and woe tell its own story .—Selected. 

The Camden Post, Dec. 27, 1886, has the following 
statistics* headed : 

THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC. 

Carefully prepared liquor statistics of the United States dis- 
close some surprising facts. The total number of dealers in 
the country is 209,500. The number of inhabitants to each 
dealer is largest in Arkansas, where it is 1,118 ; Alabama com- 
ing next with 1,105, and South Carolina next with 1,001. Mon- 
tana is thejowest with 37 inhabitants to each saloon ; California 
next with 72 ; Colorado next with 87 ; then, humiliating to ac- 
knowledge, comes New Jersey with 137. On the basis of num- 
ber of voters to each dealer the result is somewhat different. 
Then California has the bad eminence of heading the list with 
one dealer to every 16 voters; Louisiana follows with one to 
every 19 ; Rhode Island comes next with one to every 21 ; Ma- 
ryland follows with one to 29 ; New Jersey is again disgrace- 
fully near trie top with one dealer to every 32 voters. These 
statistics seem to show that New Jersey is a good field for tem- 
perance missionary efforts. 

The Philadelphia Public Ledger, April 25, 1887, 
credits Public Opinion, London, with the following 
facts : 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 165 

BEER STATISTICS. 

In the United States there are 2,269 breweries, which pro- 
duce annually 460,832,400 gallons, or over seven gallons per 
head. In Germany there are 23,940 breweries, which now pro- 
duce annually 900,000,000 gallons, or over twenty gallons per 
head. In Great Britain there are 26,214 breweries, which pro- 
duce annually 1,050,000,000 gallons, or over thirty gallons per 
head. 

On reading these statistics we leaned back and almost 
instinctively tried to enlarge our comprehension and 
stretch our credulity so as to furnish " standing-room " 
for such enormous figures ! Thirty gallons per head ! 
An average of nearly three quarts of beer for every 
man, woman, boy, girl and infant in Great Britain, each 
week ! ! Verily, many of the poor make themselves 
miserable, and keep themselves poor, though it cannot 
be said that they drink all of the beer. 

But we give place to Rev. D. T. Taylor, who is an 
able writer on Scriptural topics, and ethics as welL On 
August 11, 188G, he delivered an address before the 
" World-wide Prayer Union," at Camp Hebron, Mass., 
on " The Increase of Crime." It has since been pub- 
lished, and makes an interesting and very instructive 
pamphlet, as it contains statistics which are important 
and painfully thrilling in their character. We quote 
from them freely, and suppress some of our own that 
are less important. 

He says, " Drink is the mother of all crimes " [be it 
so ; tobacco is the father of them in nearly all such 
cases — Author], hence, he prefaces Criminal Statis- 
tics with "Drink" Statistics, on page 13, as follows: 

A LAKE OF BEER. 

Now England, Germany and the United States are the rec- 
ognized bulwarks of Protestantism. But the drink bill of these 
three so-called Christian nations alone is not less than $2,000,- 
000,000 per annum. Of beer alone, twelve of the greatest na- 



166 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

tions make and drink no less than 3,250,000,000 gallons ! Every 
medical authority declares this beer more debasing, more de- 
structive of morals and conscience, than are the stronger drinks. 
This beer, guzzled down the world's throat yearly, would fill a 
lake twenty feet deep and covering one square mile — large 
enough to float all the navies in the world, — and would require 
812,500 cars, each of twenty tons burden, to carry it. It is im- 
possible to strain all this poisonous beer and poisonous strong 
liquors through humanity and not spoil the strainer. And 
that is what is the "matter with our race to-day. Hence pov- 
erty, misery, crime, loss of vital stamina to resist evil, and gen- 
eral demoralization exist everywhere. 

I give a few more figures of Rum-ruin in England : In 1860 
the liquor cost $430,000,000 ; in 1872 the cost was $563,000,000. 
The rum and beer bill in 1870 reached $590,000,000 ; in 1876 
it rose to $740,000,000. 

Look again. The number of drunken persons in England 
and Wales in the year 1860 was 88,000; in 1868, 111,000; in 
1870, 132,000; but in 1875 it was 204,000. Thus in fifteen 
years there is shown an increase of 150 per cent. The result 
was that murders in the last four years of that period had in- 
creased 80* per cent. 

CRIME IN GREAT BRITAIN. 

Passing to note the rapid spread of crime, we recall the start- 
ling statement of George Smith, of London, who says the popu- 
lation of our globe has doubled during the last hundred years. 
Now in that long century art, science, discovery, music, inven- 
tion, intelligence, civilization, all, all have advanced. And the 
Bible and Christianity have also advanced. But has crime kept 
even pace ? Has evil been as swift-footed as good ? Well, in 
Great Britain from 1805 to 1845, while the population increased 
65 per cent., crime in England increased 700 per cent., in Ire- 
land 800 per cent., and in Scotland 3,600 per cent. Such was 
Christian England's showing for the first half of the century. 
(Blackwood for July, 1844.) In the 40 years that have followed, 
there is in that realm no decrease. The convictions for crime 
rose in five years (between 1859 and 1864) 40 per cent., and 
in two years (1878-1880) they increased 30 per cent. The 
increase is four times faster than population in England, 
and 25 times faster in Scotland! Every year England's crimi- 
nal record leaps up to nearly one million ! Recent develop- 
ments in high circles show how rotten is rich society, how much 
like Sodom is London, and with what a bold and brazen front 
vice and crime stalk on without reform or shame. 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 167 

This picture, though a sad one, flatters the reality, 
and also the extent of the situation, but may be suffi- 
cient to show how our foreign neighbors are "progressing" 
under Spiritualism and other isms as claimers and dis- 
claimers. 

For the figures which will form the domestic picture 
of our moral situation, we will start from Camden, 
New Jersey, on the east bank of the Delaware, oppo- 
site Philadelphia, and swing round the country end 
of the river back to Philadelphia, which occupies six- 
teen miles of its west bank, as a water front. 

The Camden Post, March 30, 1887, says: 

Can it be possible that there is something in the light soil of 
New Jersey that expedites crime by absorbing the damning evi- 
dences thereof, and so fuddling the brains of its law officers 
that they cannot, it appears, see their way to some sufficient 
remedy for the frequent outrageous murders for which we are 
rapidly becoming notorious. . . . There is reason for this state 
of affairs, and that reason should be made known. 

The following clipping from a Boston paper, twenty 
years ago, is before us, and gives a view of crime in 
New York twenty to twenty-seven years ago, which was 
then on the increase, and much lamented ; yet it w r as 
a moral city, if compared to its present condition ! 
The article begins thus : 

When speaking of the annual report of the Metropolitan Po- 
lice Commissioners in New York city, the editor of the Daily 
Herald, Jan. 6, 1866, says : 

Although prepared for an unusually extensive budget of 
criminal statistics, we confess that we are astonished and start- 
led at many of the revelations contained in the document. It 
appears that the number of arrests for offences of all grades, 
amounted to the enormous number of 68,873, or about 14,000 
more than the previous year. Crimes of violence toward the 
person have increased in a still greater ratio, the total number 
being 995, against 624 in 1864 ! . . . . 

The report shows that there are 1,200 " daughters of perdi- 



168 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

tion " in the concert saloons, and that there exist in this city 
and Brooklyn the fearful number of 10,000 places where intoxi- 
cating liquors are sold, 8,000 of which are unlicensed. 

Four years later, a special dispatch to the Boston 
Journal, dated New York, Jan. 4, 1870, contained re- 
marks upon the increase of crime, from which we take 
the following paragraph : 

Judge Bedford, in his charge to the Grand Jury to-day, said : 
I regret to say that, of late, crime in this city is greatly on 
the increase, and it is for you, gentlemen, to wield your.immense 
power fearlessly, fairly and impartially, in order to aid the au- 
thorities in their honest endeavors to stem the current of the 
daring and reckless actions of bad and unprincipled men. 

Ten years later — Jan. 2, 1880 — the Philadelphia 
Record presented its readers with a painfully inter- 
esting editorial on the mysterious disappearances in the 
city of New York. It says : 

Three Hundred and Forty -seven "mysterious disappear- 
ances " in the city in the course of a single year is a summing up 
which is far from creditable to the first Municipality of the Union, 
and the frightful catalogue of the missing men is calculated to 
carry consternation throughout the country. The names of that 
number of persons — almost one for every day of 1879 — have 
been, according to the New York Sun of yesterday, reported to 
the New York police officials. 

This battalion of men dropped one after another silently out 
of sight, and nothing has been heard from a solitary individual 
of them since they were lost to view. Three of these were Phil- 
adelphians. . . . This revelation discloses a fearful state of things. 
The peril it betrays concerns not New York alone, but the whole 
Country, of which New York is the social and business Metrop- 
olis. It will be dangerous to visit such a place. . . . 

In the light of the appalling disclosures now made, it would 
be difficult to say what sojourner in New York is secure, or what 
extraordinary precautions would suffice to protect a casual 
visitor from being suddenly made way with ! . . . 

The Banner of Light, Oct. 29, 1887, says : 



ITS CLALMS AND PROMISES. 169 

There are sixty-four persons in the New York State Prison — 
life sentences — nearly one-half of whom are in for wife murder. 
Turning to Massachusetts we get no comfort in criminal matters. 
A paragraph taken from the Boston Police News of Jan. 2, 1868, 
shows that the increase of crime was noted, even then ; it reads 
thus: 

" In view of the actual state of affairs as presented by those 
unerring records of the world's history, it would be at once trite 
and useless to comment dryly upon the frightful increase of 
crime in the land, but we cannot help contemplating it merely 
as a dreadful phenomenon before which we stand at the same 
time appalled and fascinated. The reign of diabolism appears 
to be absolute! . . ." 

After a dozen years, we clipped the following para- 
graph from the Philadelphia Record, Sept. 3, 1880, 
which is an awful showing of a very important part of 
social life. It is here applied to Massachusetts people, 
but it will fit many other localities as well ! The fol- 
lowing is the article referred to : [Capitals are ours.] 

The Springfield Republican has a sharp editorial about the 
repugnance of Massachusetts women to the bearing of children, 
and the immoral and murderous practices which prevail among 
them to escape the responsibilities. " Marriage," says the Re- 
publican, "is postponed, concubinage substituted for it, and the 
birth of children prevented, or else their little lives destroyed 
by persons married and unmarried, here in Massachusetts." 
The mischief is increasing yearly with the growth of wealth, 
luxury, and what is called culture. Child-farming, baby-mur- 
dering, and wet-nursing grow from day to day, and the native 
type of original Americans in Massachusetts is decreasing, while 
the Irish, German, and other foreign elements who are not yet 
civilized enough for these cheats against Nature, are filling up 
the ancient homesteads of the Puritans. 

Apropos of this, we copy a clipping from the Record, 
which was credited to the Interior, in 1884 : 

But the fools of wives are direfully plentiful — the silliest 
of silly fools who want to be flirts after marriage, and whose 
ideas of life are dress and gadding. One can see them any day 
— women who kill their babies and go round nursing dogs — the 



170 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

most horrible perversion of the maternal instinct that is 
possible to imagine. 

Comment on this point is needless ; but we offer one 
more paragraph based on Massachusetts statistics which 
to a good American citizen must be simply appalling. 
We take it from Rev. Mr. Allen's discourse on u Pris- 
oners and Crime," in Trinity Church, in Boston, as 
quoted in the Banner of Light, April 2, 1887. When 
speaking of the increase of crime, he said : 

The tide has not receded any since the National Census was 
taken in 1880. It has kept on rising here in Massachusetts in 
about the same ratio. Our Prison Commissioners reported in 
1885 that one out of every five hundred and seventy-five of the 
entire population of the State was in prison ; and in the county 
of Suffolk, embracing the city of Boston, one in every two 
hundred and seventy-eight ! ! The figures are startling 
enough # to be appalling. [Capitals are ours.] 

Poor Boston ! The home of our early boyhood — 
where with childish satisfaction and guiltlessness we 
drove the shingle-nails into the front door sill, and 
where dear mother led us by the hand to the frame 
school-house to pass our first day in school — with all 
thy faults we love thee still. 

But these recollections do not blind us to the fact 
that a pertinent question is now in order. Let us 
introduce it understandingly. 

It being a fact that Boston has the oldest and one 
of the largest Spiritualist papers in the world; is 
ably conducted, as such ; and according to Prof. Peck, 
leads any religious paper in number of subscribers ; 
that according to a tabulated statement read by Dr. 
Bates of the Eureka Lyceum in Philadelphia on March 
27, 1887, Massachusetts had, at that time, 100,000 
believers in Spiritualism ; that the Banner of Light, 
Oct. 1, 1887, advertises sixty-eight lecturers, while the 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 171 

number of "mediums" are untold; that Spiritualism 
claims superiority for its theology and ethics, or moral 
teachings ; that its steady effort for forty-five years has 
crowned " push " with success (as claimed), we ask, nay, 
we demand the reason or reasons why Massachusetts, 
one of the oldest and most intelligent States in the 
Union, should take one person out of every 575 of 
its inhabitants and place them behind prison bars? 
Or, that Boston, the very " hub " of the geographical 
and theoretical wheel of Spiritualism, should select one 
person out of every 278 of its inhabitants and cast 
them into prison ? ( ! !) 

Honest Skeptic stands aghast at these figures, while 
Radical Ghostman walks away with a doleful, meditative 
whistle ! And who will rise to explain these terribly 
suggestive problems? 

It will be clear to most minds that, under the circum- 
stances named and proved, the city of Boston and 
vicinity should have been morally improved during the 
time, rather than grow worse much faster than the 
population ! But we pass to note " progress " at other 
points, as well. Let us look at Maine. 

A part of a Boston paper before us with date of May 
2, 1883, has criminal statistics which we quote : 

The following statements were made by Judge C. W. Goddard, 
of the Superior Court, last February. He says there were, 
between 1820 and 1837, but two murders in the State, with an 
average population of 400,000. He also gave the following : 

A comparison between the years 1851 and 1880 was given, as 
follows : 

1851. 1880. 

Murders 4 21 

Manslaughter 1 5 

Murderous assaults 3 7 

Arson 4 9 

Rape 1 9 

Attempted rape 1 6 

Felonious assault 4 



172 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Table Continued. 1851. 1880. 

Kobbery 4 

Piracy 2 

Total high crimes 14 67 

This is an average increase of 478 per cent. 

This is a terrible showing for twenty-nine years, with 
no prospect of decrease ! 

New Hampshire now has but 109 male and 3 female convicts 
in her State Penitentiary, the smallest number for many 
years ! — Ledger, Philadelphia, Aug. 6, 1887. 

This is an oasis in the great moral desert — good, for 
New Hampshire ! It is a pleasure to give credit, when 
we are obliged to charge so much. 

Now a single bound of thought on scanning the 
next article carries us to Iowa, where the Cedar Falls 
Gazette, under date of Jan. 21, 1870, says : 

From the numerous tragedies occurring throughout the 
country, we are led to conclude that the era of crime is upon 
us. Our exchanges teem with murders, suicides and shocking 
tragedies by every mail. The startling head-lines in the 
columns of our daily papers announcing the elopement of some 
man with another man's wife, or the shocking murders of men, 
women and children, in different parts of the country have come 
to be regarded as amusements for the special gratification of the 
sensational reader ; they are fearfully suggestive of the growth 
of immorality, drunkenness, passion and crime. . . ." 

Accounts from time to time convince us that Iowa is 
not redeeming herself in this matter, while before us 
are three articles clipped from the Boston Journal, 
which quote local papers in Missouri, Texas and 
Tennessee — all giving frightful accounts of terrible 
crimes, which are increasing. California may also be 
noticed in this connection. In the Herald of Trade, a 
San Francisco paper, dated Nov. 19, 1885, may be 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 173 

found an extract from a recent speech delivered by 
Judge J. M. Maguire, which is as follows : 

Sixteen years ago the County Court tried all cases of felony 
except murder in this city, and also heard all appeals from the 
lower criminal court. To-day it is impossible for three of the 
departments of the Superior Court to keep up with the trial of 
felony alone. Then, only one Police Court was necessary ; now, 
two Police Courts are generally so overcrowded with business 
that a demand for a jury trial in either of those courts generally 
delays a trial for months. 

Then, there was but one State prison — that at San Quentin; 
now, there is another at Folsom, and the House of Correction 
has been added to the penal institutions, which are all crowded. 
Then, there were but few tramps, who were fed by our hospita- 
ble farmers ; now, there is an army of savage outcasts — more 
savage than beasts and as unprincipled as savages. 

Now, those who are compelled to go in rags in search of work 
are so treated that soon they are compelled to resort to the 
crime of theft, which at first they abhorred. This completes the 
transformation, and good men are thus reduced to the lowest 
ranks of humanity. 

Upon this, the editor of the Herald remarks : 

This is a horrible picture, but sadly be it said, it is a true one. 
The criminal element is growing in a greater proportion than 
the State. 

The Philadelphia Record, April 6, 1882, says : 

Two fiendish outrages in towns in Indiana upon little chil- 
dren yet in the cradle, and the lynching of the inhuman fiends ; 
a shooting affray between Whites and Negroes in Missouri in 
which two men were killed ; a shocking homicide at Shelby- 
ville, Ky. ; a fatal affray at Lexington ; the lynching of five cat- 
tle thieves in Colorado ; the shooting of a policeman in Chicago ; 
a sporting man killed at San Francisco ; a fratricidal quarrel at 
Cincinnati ; another murder at Dunbar, Pa. ; a fatal stabbing at 
Denver; a wife murder at Seward, N. B. ; besides a score of 
suicides, swindles, robberies, rapine and other crimes in differ- 
ent localities, all reported as having occurred in twenty-four 
hours, would indicate that the demons of crime are holding 



174 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

high carnival ! The Millennium is a long way off. [Emphasis 
is ours.] 

The following is from the Washington National Re- 
public, of May 18, 1867: 

In all parts of our Country, North and South, East and West, 
there is a fearful recklessness prevailing in respect to the com- 
mission of heinous offences against law and order. Great 
criminals are rapidly multiplying. Horrible murders, daring 
burglaries, theft, arson, and robbery seem to be the order of the 
day ; indeed, crime in every form stalks abroad and would seem 
to be epidemic. Human life is no longer sacred. Men are 
murdered for revenge, but more frequently for a few dollars. 
Husbands are murdering their wives, and wives their husbands, 
that they may gratify the lowest and most debased of human 
passions. The condition of things in this respect is becoming 
fearfully alarming, and there is no telling whereunto this will 
lead, unless immediate efforts are made to put a stop to these 
things by the chosen ministers of law. 

The above article was printed Nineteen years after 
the advent of Modern Spiritualism, when, despite the 
Reformatory claims of the latter, it showed that "great 
crimes were multiplying," and were " becoming fear- 
fully alarming ; " hence its appeal to " the ministers of 
the law." 

Twenty years later, we clipped the following data 
which suggests the idea that " law and law ministers " 
are of little account in Washington, seeing it has " pro- 
gressed " from very bad to much worse, in its number 
of arrests per 1,000 inhabitants, during the last twenty 
years ! ! The data aforementioned may be found in the 
Christian Herald (New York), Jan. 13, 1887, and is as 
follows : 

The prevalence of crime in Washington, particularly among 
juveniles, was pressed on the attention of Congress last week 
by Senator Vance, who, in presenting a petition, quoted some 
remarkable Statistics. The proportion of crime to population 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 175 

in the District of Columbia, when compared with that of other 
cities, is unfavorable to the Federal Capital. 

The number of arrests last year in Springfield, Mass., was 
only 44 for every 1,000 of the population ; in Cincinnati and 
Brooklyn, 48 ; in Providence, 58; in Columbus and Philadel- 
phia, 60 ; in New York, 61 ; in Buffalo, 70 ; in Boston, 79 ; in 
Baltimore, 80 ; in Chicago, 81 ; and in the District of Colum- 
bia, 126, or more than twice as many as in New York, Brook- 
lyn, or Philadelphia. 

The proportion of juvenile criminals to the population is still 
more remarkable. In Washington it is four times greater than 
in New York and five times greater than in Springfield. It 
must have astonished Congress to learn that this state of things 
is attributed to defective laws in the one city that is under its 
government. 

The most glaring defect is that there is no law prohibiting 
minors from buying liquor or visiting gambling resorts. 

Morally, this is " worse and more of it ; " and though 
the Herald would seem to account for the terrible situ- 
ation by " defective laws," yet we think it will fail to 
do so, when all known facts are brought to bear upon 
the nature and causes of crime ; and Candid Reader 
already wishes to know what Spiritualism proposed to 
do with the shocking array of facts which we have 
presented, seeing it has claimed and promised so much 
for the betterment of society, which, meanwhile, has 
fast retrograded ! But we have more sad facts to chron- 
icle, and will at once proceed with the task. 

The following timelv and instructive editorial in the 
Philadelphia North American, dated Sept. 24, 1887, 
brings us to the west side of the Delaware River, into 
Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and home. The article is 
headed — 

IS CRIME ON THE INCREASE? 

Some time ago a French Statistician proved a wonderful in- 
crease in the number of crimes in proportion to population 
during the past Hundred years. The North American then ven- 
tured the prediction that some one was already preparing Sta- 



176 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

tistics to prove the same thing true of this country. The figures 
have now indeed been presented by the International Record 
of Charities. In Pennsylvania the ratio of commitments in 
1830 was one to 15,320, and in 1880 it was one to 5,931. This 
increase is true of the States in general. Good explana- 
tions do not go with the figures. It is suggested that we have 
now better facilities for the detection of crime than they had 
then, but that doesn't seem sufficient to account for the differ- 
ence. The careful gathering and comparison of Statistics will 
in time prove the- truth of the matter. People will be loth to 
believe that crime is on the increase, and will anxiously await 
an explanation of the condition of affairs reported. [Capitals 
are ours.] 

Of course, good people dislike to think that mankind 
grows worse, but their likes or dislikes cannot alter 
facts, and they of all people can least afford to ignore 
them ; and it is our belief that those who read this work 
through, will, if willing, find "an explanation of the 
condition of affairs reported." 

The American has well said that "facilities do not 
account for the difference " in amount of criminal data 
received, though it is often claimed by Pre-Millennialists. 
Many, however, are dropping the theory, as statistics, 
in the light of Scripture show the position to be unten- 
able. See the Third Chapter of 2 Timothy, and parallel 
readings. The present use of electrical apparatus 
furnishes details of crime sooner than 

The coach and four 
In days of yore, 

but not more surely, as witness the fact of hundreds of 
" mysterious disappearances ; " silent evidences of crime, 
like that of ash-barrels, of sewers, of river bottoms, 
and — shall we say — abortion offices ! 

A partial translation which some good people may 
need of the above readings may be found in the Phila- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES:. 177 

delphia Records of local crimes and casualties of 1885, 
when Sixty-eight infants were found ov lots, and in 
alleys and wells in different parts of the city ! ! — more 
than one in each week through the year abandoned to 
its fate in different ways ! We had similar accounts 
the next year from the ash-barrel, the lots, and the 
rivers, while the Record under date of April 28, 1887, 
has an article headed— BABES IN A BUNDLE, and 
proceeds to detail the finding of three lifeless babes 
wrapped in newspapers and dumped on a rubbish heap 
in Fair-mount Park! ! 

Once more we may exclaim with Buck in his account 
of Persecutions — " Oh, God ! What is human nature 
when left to itself?" And is there no help? We are 
told that the Gospel is a failure ! Mrs. C. L. V. Rich - 
mond says, "THE GREAT REFORMER OF THE 
WORLD IS SPIRITUALISM ! " If so, why has it 
left Pennsylvania out in the cold ? She nearly doubled 
her population in Fifty years ending with 1880 [See 
Statistics], and nearly tripled her criminal account! ! 

Dr. Bates (already quoted) shows from a tabulated 
statement that Pennsylvania has 78,300 Spiritualists. 
This is a strong force, numerically, and with the boasted 
moral power of Spiritualism, or " Spiritual Philosophy," 
should, we claim, have held crime in check ; measura- 
bly, at least. Has it done this ? Our researches ex- 
tending to the end of 1892 fail to show it; hence we 
are satisfied that the System is more than a simple 
failure. Indeed the Statistics which we shall present 
to our readers do abundantly warrant such a conclusion. 

Having made our brief tour and limited canvass 
through the States by the data which we have given, 
we will now notice the moral condition of the United 
States as a whole. And here, we quote again from 
Rev. D. T. Taylor's Address. As in our former quota- 
tion he prefaced the World's crimes with the World's 

. 12 



178 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

u Drink " Statistics, so now we quote his United States 
Criminal Statistics in the same way. Thus on page 15, 
he says : 

POISONOUS BEVERAGES. 

Now look at the appalling increase of this infernal liquor 
traffic. Since 1840 the consumption of liquors has far out- 
stripped the growth of our population. Here are the number 
of gallons guzzled down per annum, given at each decade by 
the Governmental Census Bureau : 

1840, . . 71,000,000 gallons. 

1850, . . 94,000,000 " 

1860, . . 202,000,000 " 

1870, . . 293,000,000 " 

1880, . . 506,000,000 " 

1883, . . , 655,000,000 " 

From 1840 to 1880 the population increased threefold, but 
from 1840 to 1880 the consumption of insanity-causing, crime- 
begetting,* poisonous beverages increased tenfold. 

And this report says the total money expended for liquors in 
1883 amounted to $900,000,000. Nine hundred millions! Do 
we realize the vastness of this sum wasted yearly by our 60,000,- 
000 people? Let me try to show it. When Vanderbilt died he 
left, it is said, $200,000,000. But our liquor bill — useless and 
devilish — is more than fourfold greater in a single year than the 
wealth of the richest man on this continent. In standard silver 
dollars piled up on top of one another, Vanderbilt's wealth 
would reach a height of 355 miles. The consumption of dis- 
tilled and fermented liquors and wines in the United States in 
1891, according to the U. S. Internal Revenue statistics, was 
1,01)7,524,307 gallons; and the drink bill was, therefore, $1,223,- 
704,371 ! ! 

But Mr. Taylor, on page 21, comes to the subject of 

CRIME IN AMERICA. 

How stands the case in our own land ? " Worse and worse." 
Why, in a single State — our own Massachusetts — convictions 
for crime rose from 28,149 in 1879 to 48,876 in 1883 : the popu- 
lation during that period increased 22 per cent, while crime 
increased 90 per cent. Think of the criminal class almost doub- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 179 

ling in only four years in one of the best States in the Union! 
In a period of fifteen years ending 1885, crime increased in the 
State 125 per cent I Looking over our papers, we find that 
Prison Records gave 13,466 as the number in our prisons in the 
year L858. In 1877 the number rose to 246,599 prisoners — an 
increase of persons arrested for offences and crimes of 1,900 per 
cent, in nineteen years ! Very much of this startling and alarm- 
ing increase is caused by drunkenness. In seventeen years end- 
ing in 1.^70 the Boston police arrested 400,000 persons, and 
303,000 of them were arrested or aided home for drunkenness. 
Between 1856 and 1S70 the population of Boston increased 53 
per cent., but the sin of drunkenness increased 175 per cent. 

Joseph Cook can be credited when he styles our land more 
murderous than old Europe, and human life here less secure. 
Be says. " Out of every 10,000 deaths in Europe seven are mur- 
ders ; but out of every 10,000 deaths in the United States 
twenty-one are murders." The spirit of Cain that reached its 
climax at the Deluge has fallen on our country. 

SEE THE AWFUL FIGURES. 

Convictions for murder in the year 1881 reached the number 

of 1,265. 

Convictions in 1882 . . 1,467. 

11 1883 . . 1,697. 

" 1884 . . 3,377. 

An increase of nearly threefold, or 290 per cent, in the short 
space of four years. And of our future the Divine warning has 
but the solemn words — " worse and worse." 

In all our broad land the official record of crime as shown by 
the census books stands as follows : 



Year. 


Criminals 


Ratio of 


in prison. 


Population. 


1850. 


6,337 


1 of 3,442 


1860. 


19,086 


1 of 1,647 


1870. 


32,901 


1 of 1,172 


1880. 


59,255 


1 of 860 


[1890. 


64,771 


1 of 966- 



-Author.] 

It is here seen that in forty years the number of prisoners 
increased tenfold, the ratio to population nearly fourfold, 
while in the same time our population has not yet trebled. 

A desperate state of things, truly. Trains and 



180 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

steamboats will have to carry officers heavily armed, in 
order to secure safety to treasure and travellers ! 
Taylor has also given us an epitome of gigantic " steals," 
local and national, and heads it — 

THEFT. 

Ours too is an age of gigantic thefts. The enormous scale on 
which this crime proceeds has no parallel in the past. Some- 
body stole a Million of dollars from the Exchequer of Russia. 
Then Kentucky was robbed of some Two Millions by State 
Officials, and South Carolina suffered in a similar manner a 
theft of some Millions. A New York bank lost Three Millions 
by theft ; in about Two years defalcations in Philadelphia 
reached an equal sum ; while in Boston in but a few months 
the frauds and thefts aggregated the sum of Three Millions. 
All this was eclipsed by the infamous Whiskey Ring, that, 
conscienceless as ever, stole from the Government the sum of 
Six or Seven Millions of dollars. On a still greater scale of 
crime Tweed and his gang stole the vast sum of Twenty-six 
Millions of .dollars from the city of New York, while in the old 
world the managers of the Glasgow Bank, not to be outdone in 
rascality, stole Thirty Millions of dollars from the Scotch people. 
To cap the climax of giant thefts, the city of New York is again 
said to have been robbed of the sum of Thirty-three Millions of 
dollars by a ring of its officials ! Search all history and you 
cannot find another such showing as this. The awful record is 
reserved for this evil time. 

We have seen that journalists twenty or thirty years 
ago were alarmed at the increase of crime, which was 
but a pleasant condition of things if compared with 
the present state of morality in the land. To what, 
then, are we coming f 

Last, but not least, we come to that prodigious libel 
on civilization, divorce. It is bad, more or less, in any 
view we may take of it. 

When a lad and living at Newton Lower Falls, 
Massachusetts, we found, while playing around the 
Paper Mills, a queer almanac; that is, the pictures 
were queer, and it had queer sayings in it. One of 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 181 

them was the following : " The word devil is bad any 
way you can take it. Remove the d, and it is evil, 
remove the e, and it is vil (vile), remove the i and the 
/ itself has the sound of hell ! " So with divorce ; it is 
either crime, or a result of it, in all cases ; hence, bad 
any way. We noticed that D. T. Taylor wisely prefaced 
his Criminal Statistics with " Drink " Statistics, as a 
cause, and we will appned Divorce Statistics as an 
effect, or as A result of crime. An explanation of the 
term, divorce, is not needed ; albeit no pen can 
describe the heart-aches or the pangs of broken hearts 
which the word covers as with a cloud of thick dark- 
ness forever. 

The following data, though not numerous, are suffi- 
cient to cause all good people to cry, enough ! Run- 
ning over our divorce clippings, covering the last 
thirty years, we notice a few, touching several points 
in the United States. One from the Boston Journal 
in 1869 says that "during the past year (1868) 284 
wives have been divorced in Chicago, from as many 
husbands, and 176 husbands have been released from 
their wives " — 460 in all ! Another clipping from the 
same paper in 1870 has the following important statis- 
tics : 

In the past seven years there have been 730 divorces, and 
15,710 marriages in Vermont, a ratio of one to twenty-one. In 
Massachusetts, for a period of four years, there was a total of 
1,022 divorces to 45,372 marriages, a ratio of one to forty-four. 
In Ohio in 1866, the divorces were 1,169, marriages 30,479, a 
ratio of one to twenty-six. In Connecticut, in a period of eight 
years, there were 2,910 divorces, and 33,227 marriages, a ratio 
of one to eleven ! ! 

After allowing for ordinary troubles to sandwich the 
daily duties of life, we might suppose that only the 
birds and animals had hearts that did not ache, in that 
land of culture and inventive genius! Having noticed 



182 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the West, and viewed the East, a single bound of 
thought, 3,000 miles to the Southwest, drops us into 
San Francisco, Cal., where, according to statistics before 
us, it " granted 284 petitions for divorce, being one- 
eighth of the number of marriages during the same 
period," i. e., 1878. This is a ratio of one in twelve 
and a half! Taylor says that "Beautiful California's 
vineyards are her ruin, she having a liquor-seller to 
every 18 voters ! v This may account for many 
divorces. [Capitals are ours.] 

The Philadelphia Record, June 1, 1885, contains a 
synopsis of a discourse delivered in Grace Protestant 
Episcopal Church, Twelfth street, above Arch, by Rev. 
Reese F. Alsop. His subject was " Marriage and 
Divorce." In the course of his remarks he stated that 
"within the last thirty years, the number of divorces, 
in proportion to the number of marriages, had doubled 
in the Northern States ! In 1800 there was but one 
divorce to every 100 marriages in Connecticut; while 
to-day there is one divorce to every fifteen marriages ! " 

Now, when we remember that the " grants " are only 
about one-half of the applications for divorce we see at 
once that every eighth married couple in Connecticut 
was at that time seeking liberty through Divorce Courts ! 
But the following statistics are far worse — nearly 
double ! ! They are from the New York Evening Post, 
as quoted in the Philadelphia Record, June 2, 1888, and 
headed — 

NEW HAMPSHIRE DIVORCES. 

Although there have been signs of late years that divorce was 
becoming less common in some parts of New England, the 
change for the better has not yet affected New Hampshire. On 
the contrary, the report of the Registrar of Vital Statistics for 
the year 1886, just published, shows a remarkable and alarming 
increase of the tendency since 1870. In that year and in 1871 
the number of divorces decreed was only 149 ; in 1886 it was 
385, and since 1880 it has only once fallen as low as 273. The 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 183 

average number for the seven years beginning with 1870 was 
212, while for the seven years beginning with 1880 it was 318, 
an increase of 50 per cent., although the population of the State 
was less than 10 per cent, larger in the second period than in 
the first. During 1886 there were ten divorces to every eighty- 
three marriages, a proportion seldom reached in any State, and 
far too large to be viewed without apprehension. There is 
something radically wrong with family life in any community 
where one divorce decree is granted for every eight marriages 
contracted. 

It will be seen that the most of the forty-five years 
of operations by Modern Spiritualism with " Woman's 
Rights" and "Woman's Suffrage" help as claimed, has 
not improved our social relations. It has had the ad- 
vantage of great success in the locality of its nativity, 
and surrounding the Office of its oldest and perhaps 
ablest paper, which advertises Ninety Spiritualist 
lecturers who are residing in those States ! 

What shall we say if we read again the series of 
great moral claims of Spiritualism which we have pre- 
sented in this connection ? 

Dismayed in countenance, and grieved at heart, we 
hie away home to Philadelphia and look at her Records. 
In January of each year the Philadelphia Record gives 
detailed statistics of divorces, as well as other data, 
pertaining to the previous year. Before us are those 
of the following named years, and are as follows : 

In 1883, 224 decrees of divorce were granted. 

In 1884, 241 " " " " " 

In 1885, 218 " " " " tl 

In 1886, 283 " " " " " 



Total, 966 during four years ! 

The following clippings containing statistics of later 
years will be read with intense interest by all moralists 
and real " Reformers." The first is from the Philadel- 
phia Press, of March 16, 1891, and is as follows : 



184 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

DIVORCES ON THE JUMP. 

Ratio of Increase Three Times as Great as the Population in a 

Decade. 

THE APPLICATIONS DOUBLE. 

Applications for divorce in this city and final decrees break- 
ing the marital tie have in ten years increased beyond all pro- 
portion to the increase in population. 

A comparison of the figures representing the number of di- 
vorces applied for and granted in 1880 and in 1890 with the 
figures representing the population of Philadelphia in 1880 and 
in 1890 show that applications for divorce have increased almost 
twice as fast as the population, and that the number of divorces 
granted have increased more than three times as fast as the 
population. 

It is shown in the dockets of the office of the Prothonotary 
of the Common Pleas Courts that in 1880 there were 332 appli- 
cations for divorce. The dockets for 1890 show that during that 
year there were 483 applications. x In 1880 the population of the 
city was, by the census returns, 847,170. In 1890 it was 
1,045,396. Approximately, the increase, according to these 
figures, is 45 5-27 per cent, in the applications for divorce and 
23 2-5 in population, 

A greater discrepancy even than this is seen in the number 
of divorces granted. While 332 divorces were applied for in 
1880, the records for that year show that only 194 were granted. 
In 1890 there were 483 applied for and 349 granted. These 
figures indicate that while in later years a larger proportion of 
applications are granted, the number of divorces granted in 
1890 was 79 9-10 per cent, greater than the number granted in 
1880. 

A discussion of the causes of divorce, of some length, 
we omit. 

We clip the following statistics from the Philadel- 
phia Record, Dec. 29, 1888 : 

THE RECORD OF THE YEAR'S DIVORCES IN THE PHILADELPHIA 
COURTS SHOWS THAT MANY HAPPY HOMES WERE WRECKED. 

During the year of which but three days remain marriage 
was officially declared to be a failure in 241 cases of divorce 
that were adjudicated by the Courts of Common Pleas of Phil- 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 185 

adelphia. The number of legal separations of man and wife 
shows no falling off in 1888 from the record of previous years, 
and the divorce docket still presents a long list of cases to be 
heard in 1889. 

The following is from the New York Sun, as quoted 
in the Philadelphia Bulletin, Nov. 12, 1889 • 

The necessity for a radical reform of the divorce laws is ap- 
parent to the most superficial observer of the tendencies of 
American social life and the helplessness of the courts to sur- 
round marriage with adequate safeguards. With a record of 
400,000 divorces obtained in this country during twenty years, 
there is no ground for argument against reform. The National 
Reform Association does not need to hold many meetings in 
American cities for the single purpose of demonstrating the 
urgency of this movement. The moral elements of society are 
already convinced of the necessity for action, but ihere is the 
widest divergence of views respecting the methods to be adopted 
for counteracting the tendencies of demoralizing legislation, 
and promoting a uniform system of marriage and divorce law. 

The Protestant Episcopal Convention, during its recent ses- 
sion in this city, could easily have united in the passage of such 
resolutions as were presented at Philadelphia ; but when the 
attempt was made to introduce a canon incorporating the sub- 
stance of the Levitical law of marriage and divorce, definite 
action was at once perceived to be impracticable, and the sub- 
ject was dropped with undisguised feelings of relief. The same 
difficulties will arise whenever the leaders of this National 
movement propose definite measures or practical expedients. 

The passage of a National law of divorce by Congress will 
be vehemently opposed by close constructionists of the Consti- 
tution and State's rights advocates. The attempt to codify the 
divorce and marriage laws of the various States and to evolve 
from them any form of compromise legislation that may be 
recommended for general adoption will meet with resistance 
from theorists, social reformers and jurists of every grade of 
opinion. The whole subject is beset with practical difficulties, 
which will inevitably obstruct the progress of the movement 
whenever definite action is recommended. 

Judge Thayer's scathing remarks on the divorce system of 
Pennsylvania opened the way for a frank confession that he 
had made entries and issued decrees from the bench against the 
dictates of his conscience because he was compelled by his oath 



186 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

to administer a preposterous immoral and un-Christian law as 
he found it. " In many and many a case," he said, "have I 
felt that this thing was being done by agreement, and that peo- 
ple who were bound by the laws of God to remain united were 
sundering themselves by a trick, and I did not have the power 
or the capacity to stop it." That is in accord with the testimony 
of all upright Judges who are called upon to administer the 
divorce law. It points to the laws rather than to the courts as 
the source of present social demoralization. 

Judge Thayer, alarmed by the increase of the evil in Penn- 
sylvania, where 16,000 divorces have been granted in twenty 
years, despairs of any real reform in that State until the New 
York law abolishing divorce except for a single cause shall be 
introduced there and in other States. That is probably the 
closest approach that can be made to a definite policy for the 
National Reform Association, 

If public opinion in Pennsylvania and a few other great 
Commonwealths can be concentrated in favor of the essential 
principle of the New York law, and the Legislatures of those 
States can be prevailed upon to sanction it, form and direction 
will be given to the whole movement in favor of a uniform 
system. 

We offer one more article which is so painfully inter- 
esting that its length will be excused. It is from the 
Philadelphia Press, April 7, 1889 : 

SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS. 

Massachusetts the Worst, South Carolina 
the Best State. 

If all the divorced men in the United States were formed into 
an army they would outnumber the standing army of any 
European power. And if the divorced people of both sexes 
were placed by themselves they would comfortably populate a 
territory larger than any Eastern State. Until recently no 
attempt has been made to collect the statistics of marriage and 
divorce in this country. But during the last two years govern- 
ment statisticians, under the direction of Labor Commissioner 
Wright, have been at work collecting and compiling data relat- 
ing to the subject, and at the last session of Congress their 
report was made. 

In only one State is divorce prohibited. In all others, at 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 187 

least, one cause for annulment of the marriage tie is recognized, 
and in some States there are six, eight, and even nine causes 
sufficient for the granting of a divorce. In the latter States the 
divorce courts have gone on year after year untying the marriage 
knot until the number of divorces is appalling. In many States 
the ratio of divorces to marriages is one to fifty — a poor enough 
showing — but in others it is one in thirty, while in single 
counties in Western States one divorce is granted for every ten 
marriages. 

MASSACHUSETTS THE BIGGEST SINNER. 

Of the Eastern States Massachusetts is the most lax in her laws, 
and consequently has a larger number of divorces recorded than 
her neighbors. In the early days of the State only one plea for 
divorce was recognized — the violation of the marriage tie — and 
but few divorces occurred. But in recent years the laws have 
been gradually altered. First, desertion was recognized as 
sufficient ground for legal separation, then extreme cruelty was 
let in. Next followed habitual intoxication, cruel and abusive 
treatment, neglect to provide, imprisonment, physical reasons, 
and separation without consent. The character of society in 
Massachusetts has changed in the last generation. Marriage is 
looked upon now more lightly than a score of years ago. 
Statistics collected by the State officials show that during the 
twenty years ending December 31, 1886, there were 9924 
divorces granted in Massachusetts, 3075 to males and 6849 to 
females. In 1867 the number of divorces granted was 282. In 
1886 the number was 601. During the same period of twenty 
years there were 308,195 marriages, making the ratio of divorces 
to marriages 1 to 31.1 for the twenty years. But in 1867 there 
was only one divorce to 51.2 marriages, while in 1886 there was 
one divorce to every thirty marriages. Suffolk County, which in- 
cludes the city of Boston, has a record of 2560 divorces to 78,990 
marriages — a ratio of 1 to 30.9 for the twenty years. Desertion 
heads the list of causes which led to divorces, with a record of 
4341 ; unfaithfulness is next with 3104 cases ; intoxication caused 
1042 divorces, and extreme cruelty 547. Of all the divorces 
decreed 69 per cent, were granted on complaint of the wife. 

NO DIVORCES IN SOUTH CAROLINA. 

The champion state in upholding the solemnity of the mar- 
riage rite is South Carolina. No divorces are granted there for 
any cause. " Once married always married " is the inexorable 
law of the State. Nearly all of the Southern States and most of 
the Middle States have strict laws governing the granting of 



188 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

divorces, so that many of the residents who desire a legal separa- 
tion are compelled to take up a temporary residence in States 
where the laws are more lenient. 

Wisconsin has a record of 12,000 divorces in the twenty 
years. The laws of that State provide for the granting of divorces 
for infidelity, cruel or inhuman treatment, desertion, where one 
of the parties has been confined in the State prison for three 
years, where one has been a drunkard for one year, or where 
the parties have voluntarily lived apart for five years, preceding 
the suit. 

Chicago leads as offering the best facilities for dissatisfied 
couples to obtain a divorce. All of the causes recognized else- 
where are sufficient, and the Chicago definition of what consti- 
tutes a residence is sufficiently lenient to make the divorce mill 
a " free for all " concern. Publicity is avoided as much as pos- 
sible, and a large proportion of decrees are granted in default 
of the non-appearance of the defendant. A Chicago authority 
has drawn up a table showing what becomes of divorced women. 
It is as follows : 

Per Cent. 

Class I. — Remarried within a year 75 

Class II. — Waiting for an offer 10 

Class HI. — Fallen into evil ways 10 

Class IV. — Devoted to celibacy 5 

The official records of Hennepin County, Minnesota, in which 
Minneapolis is situated, show that Chicago has a rival. With 
18,000 marriages in the last thirty years, 1800 divorces have been 
granted — a cool 10 per cent. The number during the past two 
years has largely exceeded that of any former years. In all 
parts of the country the number of women who apply for 
divorces is double the number of men. 

It will be seen that the last clause is more interest- 
ing than pleasing to husbands. The whole is indeed 
a sad picture, socially, of the times in which we live. 
We did not invent it, nor did we choose it, for we 
would not pay humanity a grudge by teaching Pes- 
simism, as there is no comfort in it for us. We have 
simply collated facts and presented them, and they make 
the horrid moral picture above shown. 

This state of things is a very long remove from what 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 189 

we have been promised by the " Spiritual Philosophy " 
for five and forty years, and we think our array of facts 
and figures have made very telling points against Spirit- 
ualism. Its claim for superiority over all systems of 
reform as a moral quality and force is simply immense 
— indeed, that wonderful manifestation of moral power 
which followed the Apostles' preaching at the time of 
Pentecost, which reformed bad people by Thousands, 
is called a " tallow dip" while Spiritualism is called the 
"Electric Light." Nevertheless, although it has shined 
through " Thousands of speakers and mediums " as a 
part of "Ten or Fifteen Millions" of believers, as 
claimed, and "literature in every known language," 
yet, it has allowed crime to increase faster titan the popu- 
lation, everywhere ! ! 

This statement is true even of New York, and the 
New England States, where it is best known ! As a 
" Reformer of (lie World" we conclude that it is proving 
a COMPLETE FAILURE! Moreover, facts to be 
given in another topic, partly to save repetition, will 
add great weight to this conclusion. History repeats 
itself, seemingly, to prove that there can be no radi- 
cal MORAL REFORM WHERE THE BlBLE IS REJECTED. 

Our prisons, morgues and cemeteries have just be- 
gun to garner the crop which is maturing from the 
seeds of variegated Infidelity. It will be enormous in 
a very few years hence, if it does not decimate itself 
by its own reaction ! 

At this point we are confronted by a bluff argument 
in the shape of an inferential assertion, which, although 
it may be true in a restricted sense, if accepted as a 
broad statement, complete in itself, might be very 
misleading, as we shall see. The assertion was made 
by M. Jaubert, Vice-President of the Civil Tribunal 
of Carcasonne, France, in a letter to the Editor of 
La Verite, but addressed to the Bishop of Barcelona, 



190 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Spain, who had " cast some slurs upon Spiritualism." 
After admitting "176,456 prisoners, 3,767 suicides, 
and that every year the same gulf opens to receive its 
fresh prey," he exclaims, " Believe me, Monseigneur, 
the Spiritualists are not there!" [See "Nineteenth 
Century Miracles," p. 79.] 

It is plain that the meaning of this statement is that 
no Spiritualists get into prison, or commit suicide. 
It will at once be seen that the correctness of this 
assertion depends upon the meaning of the term 
" Spiritualists," as here used. Perhaps no one will 
question our belief that it means that class of Spirit- 
ualists known as " high-minded " Spiritualists, who are 
above meanness, are well behaved, well informed, kind- 
hearted, peaceable, courteous, respectful ; and who like 
to live and have others live also — such company as 
Prof. Kiddle, A. E. Newton, Luther Colby, Mrs. Brit- 
ten and many others would be pleased to meet with 
very often. Very naturally, these do not go to prison, 
neither do they suicide. 

Now, we ask, candidly, if we are expected to believe 
that all Spiritualists embraced in the Ten Millions 
claimed in the United States, are of such character and 
position as we have named ? Why, the idea is as ab- 
surd as M. Jaubert's assertion is abstract. What, then, 
we ask, constitutes a Spiritualist, as such ? The an- 
swer is found in a card published in the Banner of Light, 
Nov. 24, 1888, by the " American Spiritualist Alliance," 
which says : 

The Alliance defines a Spiritualist to be "One who knows [f] 
that intelligent communication can be had between the living and the 
so-called dead ; and all such are invited to become members. 

This is in keeping with the " Declaration of Prin- 
ciples" passed in Convention, twenty-five years ago. 
[See Sixth Topic] Please notice; there is no moral 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 191 

requirement in the matter of becoming a Spiritualist, 
but simply a "knowledge" of Spirit communion, which 
Thousands of criminals " know " as well as those who 
are not in prison. Hence, a man can be bad, and 
also be a Spiritualist, while he cannot be bad and 
be a Christian. It may be stated differently, and form 
a moral paradox, thus : A man of fair capacity and 
ability who accepts and practises all the teachings of the 
Gospel of Christ to the extent of his privileges, will 
be a Christian, and be regarded by his townsmen as a 
highly moral man, while a man of similar cast, or make- 
up, who accepts and practices all of the teachings of 
Spiritualism to the extent of his privileges, will be a 
Spiritualist, but will not be regarded as a highly moral 
man— Spiritualists themselves (" high-minded " ones) 
being his judges. 

Now see the rush ! Here comes Candid Reader, 
Honest Skeptic, and even Radical Qhostman! With 
one voice they ask : " What manner of speech is this 
which we hear him make ? We cannot understand it ! " 

Well, friends, neighbors and patient readers, we will 
explain. We have shown you that the Bible is the 
Fountain-head of all expressed moral principles that are 
worth anything to mankind ; and that all of the best 
family, social, Church and National governments are 
based upon it. We have shown that Spiritualism ignores 
the Bible, nay, it does more than that ; it makes resolu- 
tions against it in conventions in various ways, and 
admits only such ideas as agree with each person's 
individual views and judgment, "which last is the final 
standard" [See Declaration of Principles.] 

We call you to witness the fact that mankind — let 
us say, the average man — having no moral standard 
except his own, as above quoted, will improve the 
privileges of the position assumed and judge those 
things to be right which he delights in; and hence, 



192 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

because he can, he follows his own inclinations, and in 
a lapse of years will become guilty of misdemeanors 
which he would not have committed under Bible teach- 
ings for a moral standard, and for which his " high- 
minded " Spiritualist friends will call him immoral, as 
we have said ; although he has not violated his privilege 
of self-judgment, and has always believed in " Spirit 
communion." 

Now Honest Skeptic rushes to the front with a ques- 
tion : " How came those Spiritualists to be called ' high- 
minded,' and if they are better than the man whom 
you have just reviewed, why are they so, seeing that 
both parties were Spiritualists?" Good enough, 
Honest ! We thought our suggestive picture would bring 
you to the front. Your question is the key which will 
discover to you the true basis of all good society, of 

ALL REAL REFORMS, and of EVERY MORAL GOOD TO MAN. 

Now we will answer, and say, First, that we saw the 
term "Kigh-minded" applied to the educated, influential, 
and leading Spiritualists who are respectable, good 
citizens anywhere — such as M. Jaubert was proud to 
refer to, in his letter already quoted. The Banner used 
the phrase under date of Aug. 14, 1886, and we have 
made a similar use of the term. 

Secondly, the difference between those " high-minded " 
Spiritualists and our representative " man " in question 
is, that they did not practise all their Declaration of 
Principles, " spirits," and lecturers teach, as privileges, 
while the " man " did. 

But we will make it plainer. They (those high- 
minded persons) practised, largely, a higher grade — No, 
No ! We mistake; it was the highest grade of morals 
ever known to man ! They were taken directly, or 
indirectly from the Bible, of necessity, and were, are, 
and ever will be the STANDARD ! 

Honest Skeptic still doubts this pointed statement, 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 193 

and Radical Qhostman declares that "those Spiritualists 
do not so use the Bible ! " Now, we will tighten our 
grip on them by one more " round turn and half hitch," 
and then leave them in it ! This is how we do it ; we 
call their attention to the fact, that when we listen to 
Spiritualists who are privately, socially or publicly 
discoursing on moral topics, they do not quote the Vedas, 
Talmud, Koran, or Spiritualism as such, but Bible texts 
and principles are used and advocated with earnestness, 
while " spirits," as claimed, do the same ! 

Again, if we select a single square on any column or 
page written by those parties on ethics, we notice that 
Bible precepts and morals are often used and inter- 
woven in their arguments, and if the real authors were 
quoted, or chapter and verse given, it would spike every 
one of their own guns which are used against the 
Bible ! 

Moral : Do not attempt the discussion of moral top- 
ics when the Standard is rejected or ignored. 

Having now opened the way by moralizing somewhat 
on questions pertaining to crime and the claims of Spir- 
itualism, we claim that the theory of Modern Spiritual- 
ism is responsible for many of the crimes which we 
have shown to be daily crowding the criminal calendar 
with an alarming increase, notably in the United States. 
For our position we offer some reasons here and now : 

First, The remarkable increase of crime during the 
last forty-five years, which we have noted. 

Second, The increased ratio or increase, as Spirit- 
ualism becomes more popular, which we have clearly 
proven. 

Third, The absence in Spiritualism of any radical 
moral principles, or formulated theory, by which to 
restrain very many persons of weak moral powers from 
committing crime, considering that — 

Fourth, The System denies authority of "Creed," 

13 



194 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

" Church," " Inspiration," " Book," and hence, of Being, 
" except that of received truth ! " This leaves all to 
" judge for themselves what is right," and virtually de- 
nies the Scriptural doctrine of moral responsibility, 
which exactly suits perverted human nature, and leads 
us to say that man naturally has but two great wishes, 
viz. : 

First, For everything his fancy suggests ; 

Second, Responsibility for nothing ! 

Now it naturally follows that as Spiritualism in- 
creases its number of believers, the doctrine of No-ac- 
countability becomes more familiar to the people who 
from time to time hear of it, and while some accept it, 
two large classes — designing people and discouraged 
people — hold it in doubt. These have ever supposed 
they were accountable for their conduct to an All- Wise 
Being ; #nd this belief is known to have a moral re- 
straint upon such persons, and thousands who read this 
statement will admit the truth of it in their own expe- 
rience. Nor is this fact confined to small offences ; 
nay, it is often true of high crimes ! ! Reader, you 
know this is true ! 

On taking this practical view of the subject, we find 
that the " No-accountability " theory as a positive, is 
offered to human nature, which, being negative, quickly 
accepts and absorbs the theory (so to speak), thus leav- 
ing the doctrine master of the situation. It can now 
trespass upon the fair field of conscience with impunity, 
having demolished real moral principle, which was its 
fence and defence. 

In view of all the evidence presented, we conclude 
that when the designing class of doubters above named 
come to a time of temptation, when a wicked self-inter- 
est is largely at stake, and only an act of crime can 
secure it, their remaining doubts are removed under the 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 195 

pressure, and they yield to it readily if they can hope 
to escape the legal penalty. And the same may be 
said of the discouraged doubters, also. It matters but 
little what the discouragement is, for when the last 

RAY OF HOPE IS FLICKERING IN THE AWFUL TWILIGHT, AND 
THEY ARE TOLD THERE IS " NO ACCOUNTABILITY " TO ANY 

being aside from themselves, and that in any case they 
will, after death, " progress " and eventually attain to 
angelic purity, they grasp the idea with the greediness 
of the hungry goat which we saw on a corner lot, break- 
fasting on a sheet of straw paper ! Now a sheep, which 
is the Christian's moral prototype (Matt. 25 : 33), would 
not accept such food, neither would the Christian ac- 
cept the theology which called this occurrence to mind. 

We ask if any moral person of average mental cal- 
ibre and candor would oner such principles to the large 
class of persons above alluded to, as an incentive to en- 
courage (!) them to strive for points of high moral 
excellence, or social eminence, in the world ? We ask 
if it is a wonder that massive compilations of statistics 
prove that the people of the world are multiplying 
crimes faster than they increase the population, thus 
crowding our increasing spacious prisons with the liv- 
ing who are vicious, and our cemeteries with the dead 
who were so, many of whom killed themselves or 
others! Moralists, Reformers, Ministers! Where 
are you ? Are you " hidden among the trees " while the 
seance is going on ? (Gen. 3 : 8, 9.) 

Once more : is it not plain to Candid Reader and 
Honest Skeptic, that while it might be true, abstractly, 
that "Spiritualists [that is, "high-minded" ones] are 
not found in Prisons," yet it might be true that 
great numbers, yea, even a majority of the Two great 
classes we have named should become Spiritualists, not 
for the sake of seeing how much of good or how much 
novelty there is in its phenomena, but that they might 



196 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

have a theory, or a kind of " dead faith," with which 
to wash their hands, as Pilate did, when they should 
commit the crimes which their evil hearts had conceived, 
and their wicked interests had demanded? If such 
persons where asked, when in prison, if they were 
Spiritualists, they would answer negatively, or indiffer- 
ently, owing to their short acquaintance with the 
doctrine, and, of course, would not be placed on the 
canvassers' roll of Spiritualists. 

It is now seen how and why we believe that Spirit- 
ualism has had the effect to alarmingly increase the 
general record of crime ! 

As it is in the interest of the Banner of Light to 
report moral progress, the following articles will be 
received without discount. The first is an editorial 
paragraph under date of Nov. 28, 1885, which says : 

The papers are filled with accounts of desperate encounters 
with midnight burglars. The only method to suppress this 
growing evil is to shoot them at sight, as did an Andover man 
some years ago. This put a veto on that sort of enterprise for 
quite a while. Cold lead is the only thing that will stop this 
class of crimes. One dose of lead will cure the disease in a 
few moments, in individual cases. It goes against our con- 
science to recommend so potent a remedy ; but then society 
must be protected, even at the cost of human life. 

We think these are radical sentiments philosophically 
rendered; and they carry their lesson with them. 

The next article is, also, from an editorial in the 
Banner of April 2, 1887, therefore is recent, as well as 
reliable. The subject is, " Our Prisoners," and was 
suggested by a recent discourse in Trinity Church, 
Boston, by Rev. Mr. Allen, the assistant minister, who 
criticises our Prison system, thinking it is " practically " 
more for " retribution " than for " reformation" which 
may be so. When speaking of crime, he is quoted 
thus : 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 197 

In no land in the world is crime so on the increase as in 
the United States. We are going downward in the scale of 
public morals faster than any great modern nation. In 1850 
there were nearly 7,000 prisoners confined in the various Prisons 
of the United States ; in 1880 there were more than 59,000 
prisoners. In other words, in 1850, One in every 3,000 persons 
in the Country was in prison ; in 1880 one in every 837 of our 
vast and increasing population was undergoing involuntary 
confinement for crime ! ! [Emphasis is ours. — Author.] 

Here we make room to insert an excerpt from an 
editorial article in the Philadelphia Record, Jan. 5, 
1889. After heading it "We're wickeder than we 
used to be," it says : 



l o 



According to Mr. Wines, who has made an intelligent study 
of the Criminal Statistics of this Country, in 1850 the ratio of 
persons imprisoned for crime to the population was 290 to the 
million : but in 1880 it was 1169 to the million. This startling 
increase has anything but a millennial aspect ..." This four- 
fold multiplication of crimes, happening concurrently with a 
decrease of drunkenness, is calculated to stagger the faith of 
persons accustomed to believe that intemperance is more 
responsible than all other causes for offenses against society and 
against morals. As we grow soberer we grow wickeder. It is 
evident that alcohol cannot be made the single scapegoat for the 
depravity of this wicked generation." 

The Chicago Tribune, of Jan. 1, 1892, says : " The 
number of persons who have committed suicide in the 
United States during the year, as gathered from tele- 
graph and mail reports to The Tribune, is 3,331, as 
compared with 2,640 last year and 2,224 in 1889. 
The total is larger than that of preceding years. The 
number of murders committed was 5,906 as compared 
with 4,290 in 1890 and 3,567 in 1889. The number 
of legal executions during the year was only 123, 
while ' Judge Lynch' executed 195 victims in the 
same time ! ! " 

Now, we kindly ask the attention of Candid Reader 



198 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

and Honest Skeptic to some excerpts, while they keep 
in mind the evidence of the great increase of crime in 
our Country, and in the world. We will first notice 
several which were taken from " a discourse given 
through the mediumship of Mrs. Cora L. V. Richmond 
in Berkeley Hall, Boston, Sunday Morning, Nov. 22, 
1885," and published in the Banner of Light, April 3, 
1886. Mrs. Richmond said : 

The great Reformer of the world is Spiritualism. Any 
power that makes man aware of true moral growth and real ex- 
istence, must work the only reform. 

Further on, she said : 

Over Thirty years ago, when Modern Spiritualism made its 
appearance, it said in so many words, ' I COME TO REFORM 
THE WORLD.' . . . 

Spiritualism came to put the axe at the root of the tree of 
human .evil ; it came to decide upon the most important and 
vital thing connected with existence, i. e., Is man only an evan- 
escent, material, earthly being, or is he immortal ? 

Still further on, she said : 

Spiritualism came to reform death, to resolve it into life; 
came to reform fear, to resolve it into trust and knowledge ; came 
to reform the darkness which rests upon humanity concerning 
the nature of man's existence. [Capitals are ours. — Author.] 

Lastly, we introduce a great promise or prediction 
made in an editorial paragraph in the Banner of Light, 
Aug. 6, 1887 ; it is as follows : 

Modern Spiritualism will grow, and deepen, and broaden, and 
strengthen until all false creeds and dogmas shall be swept from 
the earth — when faith shall be buried in knowledge, when war 
shall be known no more, when universal brotherhood shall pre- 
vail to bless mankind. 

In these Two articles we find representative Claims 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 199 

and Promises of Spiritualism, which have been our 
bottom thought throughout the Topic, and which we 
now bring to a close. If we have saved the strongest 
claims and best authority for this point in the discus- 
sion, it is well, and we will briefly notice them. 

The "spirit guides" of Mrs. Richmond say that 
" Spiritualism is the Reformer of the World ! " Has 
it occurred to you that this claim is vastly greater 
than Christ's claim for His Gospel? It is, for He 
knew, and Paul declared that " evil men and seducers 
should wax worse and worse, deceiving and being de- 
ceived." See Matt. 24 : 12, and 2 Tim. 3 : 13. Never- 
theless, " WHOSOEVER WILL, SHALL BE SAVED ; " but Mrs. 
Richmond says, virtually, that whosoever will not, shall 
be saved as well — thus taking in " The World." 

Now we ask, and press the question in the light of 
Statistics and Known Facts : Has Spiritualism been 
reforming the world — any part of it — our own Coun- 
try, even, the place of its birth ? 

No, No ! The booming facts reply, 
While faster, crime rolls on ! 

This lecturer says also, that " Spiritualism came to 
reform death ; to resolve it into life ! " We ask, Has 
it done it ? Is it doing it ? Will it do it ? Nay, verily ; 
but that high authority which Spiritualists quote so 
often — minus chapter and verse — says that " Death shall 
be destroyed," which is along remove from "reforming 
him" in any sense. See 1 Cor. 15 : 26, and Rev. 20 : 
14. Death is an " enemy " in all cases which are under 
normal conditions. He will never " reform," but will, 
in due time, be made to unform so as not to be. [Rev. 
20 : 14, and 21 : 4.] The same may be said of "fear," 
which was quoted. Of course, this refers to slavish 
fear, which hath " torment/' and which real Christian- 



200 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ity " casts out," leaving only a filial fear, which makes 
one afraid to do wrong because it is wrong. 

The paragraph taken from the Banner is peculiar. 
It has two clauses ; the first might be construed to be 
a virtual concession, or surrender of Modern Spiritual- 
ism as a doctrine, when the time alluded to in the sec- 
ond clause shall come ; and which is, as far as it goes, 
a prediction of the condition and character of mankind 

MADE IMMORTAL IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD The " Earth 

Made New," as shown in the last two chapters of the 
Bible. 

We think, however, that it means as if the word, 
other, stood in place of the word " false," thus making 
it plainly teach that Spiritualism will survive all other 
systems, as the fittest, and eventually usher in the con- 
ditions named in the last clause, which is a Bible proph- 
ecy, to be fulfilled through and by very different means. 
We hav£ shown that " faith " is no part of Spiritualism, 
as doctrine as, that claims to be a " know so," which 
does not allow of belief. See definition by the " Spirit- 
ual Alliance," which we have quoted, and also, " Spirit " 
teachings, elsewhere. 

We can only say of this promise, or claim, judging 
of the unprecedented increase of crime, and the man- 
ner of the moving of men and kings on the great Na- 
tional Checker-board, that the Banner does not expect 
such a state of things very immediately . 

Finally, after discussing the colossal claims of 
Spiritualism, and proving the system worse than a fail- 
ure, we can see pretty pertinent pointedness in the fol- 
lowing article which was taken from the Philadelphia 
Bulletin, and which we clipped from the Boston Herald, 
Dec. 17, 1874: 

Let Spiritualism produce some idea, utter some word, or per- 
form some deed which will have novelty and yet be of manifest 
value to the human race, and it will make good its claim to our 



ITS CLAIMS AND PROMISES. 201 

serious consideration. But it has not done this. For nearly 
thirty years it has been before the world in its present shape, 
and in all that time, with all its asserted command of earthly 
and super-terrestrial knowledge, it has never done an act, or 
breathed a syllable, or supplied an idea which had any value 
as a contribution to the welfare of the race, or to its stock of 
knowledge. Its messages from learned men who are dead have 
been the silliest bosh ; its stories about life upon the planets are 
wretched guesses, many of which can be proved false by the as- 
tronomer ; its visions have frightened scores of people into mad- 
houses and made semi-lunatics of hundreds of others. 

We remark that one interesting feature of this arti- 
cle is, that Nineteen years of time has not affected its 
correctness ; if correct then, it is so now. 



FOURTH TOPIC. 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 

Looking from a human stand-point, it may be truly 
said that we cannot overestimate the importance of 
rightly understanding the subject of our present Topic 
so far as it may be understood ; and we are happy to 
state that we may understand it so well that we can 

DISMISS AEL REASONABLE DOUBTS CONCERNING THE ORIGIN, 
OBJECT, PROGRESS, AND END OF SPIRITUALISM, theoretical, 

as well as phenomenal. 

Addressing now the common reader — the " millions " 
— in particular, we ask your close attention and slow 
and careful reading. It is certain that very many of 
you have not been familiar with Spiritual Phenomena, 
and that many of those who have seen much of them 
are still in doubt about them. It is proper, therefore, to 
present some explanatory thoughts and facts, pertain- 
ing to the topic before us, always designing to make 
brevity a point, as well as needed information a suc- 
cess. 

Phenomena here means appearances— -particularly 
such as are of a startling nature, or are remarkable in 
character. The term is applied to the ocular and 
audible demonstrations in mediumship as known under 
the title of Modern Spiritualism. Those demonstra- 
tions, or phenomena, beginning near Rochester, N. Y., 

(202) 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 203 

created a sensation which has never been abated ; and 
the amazing feature of the occult power has always 
been that it was intelligent, for whenever it controlled 
persons known as mediums it made communication the 
object, and mankind the objective point. As it has 
ever claimed to be a personality, and has in each in- 
dividual case, if required, given more or less convinc- 
ing proof of identity, it must be admitted that this is 
the reason why Millions believe that the power is that 
of " disembodied spirits " of their deceased friends, acting 
or speaking through persons or mundane things. The 
evidences thus given have been variously startling, 
thrilling, pleasing and plausible, according to circum- 
stances existing, or claimed as such. 

Of course, we now refer to actual phenomena — 
those which do occur without human dictation, or even 
previous knowledge of the facts so given ; and the time 
has come, when, if a man of professed ability denies 
this fact, he runs a risk of having his veracity or his 
stock of information questioned. Take notice : it is the 
fact of actual phenomena to which w r e now refer — the 
agency or factors which are claimed by Spiritualists 
being another consideration altogether, and one which 
we not only question, but earnestly deny, and expect 
to successfully refute, to the satisfaction of candid, 
inquiring minds : all others being, so far as we are con- 
cerned, hopeless cases. 

To say that we can prove our position in the sense 
that we can show and prove that Ten chairs and 
Twenty chairs make Thirty chairs, might have the 
effect to fill them with the last named number of 
hearers, but the reaction of such egotism would be worse 
than the action. We claim to present evidence that will- 
convince candid minds of fair intelligence, to the exclu- 
sion of all reasonable doubts. It is certain that if such 
a position is not the correct one, it will take the place 



204 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of it in all cases. The position we hold is tenable 
because it is reasonable, and reasonable because its con- 
clusions are in keeping with Scriptural Teachings, and 
on a line with certain Known Facts in human experi- 
ence. 

Now inasmuch as no amount of reasoning or argu- 
ment can ever change a single fact, then it follows that 
any ideas lying back of such facts are either facts of 
themselves, and may be turned to some account in the 
investigation, or they are probabilities, suggestions, or 
mere possibilities posing as speculation in the remote 
corners of thought ; and they are too weak, or too far 
away to shake the conclusion, because they would have 
to drive rough-shod over those known facts that are on 
the line which ends with the conclusion. 

Again, our position is tenable, in that it is an 
important factor in our hope which is so substantial 
that for* the time being it takes the place of fact ; that 
is, the undoubted assurance and available evidence takes 
the place of actual occurrence, so that it is enjoyable in 
life, and such a hope was never given up at death, as 
OTHERS HAVE BEEN. Indeed, such a hope insures 
eternal life, and is so satisfactory that more than 
50,000,000 of persons concluded to fill as many un- 
timely graves, rather than continue to fill their places 
with their families and friends without the privilege of 
enjoying such a hope ! And yet, they could not say 
as of a passing occurrence, I know it ! Truly, this is 
wonderful, and Honest Skeptic wishes to know if a key 
can be found wherewith to unlock and open up the 
problem. 

A colloquy in which we took a part may answer the 
purpose. Very early in the conversation, the stranger 
asked in a pompous, scoffing, and positive kind of a way, 
" Who made God ? " Now, many ministers and Chris- 
tian critics have turned away such questions in disgust, 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 205 

saying, " You have no business to ask such a question, 
I won't talk with such folks ; " but we did better. 
Quickly and very mildly we answered, " I don't know 
— Do you f " This unexpected answer took the swagger 
out of the man and changed his polarity from positive 
to negative, letting him down as much as an "octave" 
in tone and style, when he coolly answered, " No." 
We then asked, " Is it really necessary that we should 
know?" He mildly answered, "I suppose not." To 
this we both agreed, and a candid conversation followed. 
The key is now found ; it is not necessary that we 
should know the origin of Deity, but rather that we 
" believe that He is [God], and that He will reward 
all who diligently seek to obey Him." 

We have shown, incidentally, in our reviews in this 
work, that the teachings of the Bible are reliable and 
reasonable, when understood and properly applied ; and 
are, in character, the highest type of morality known 
to man. We do not need to argue this point here, as 
our readers are aware ; but we will u electrotype " our 
stereotyped assertion, by repeating, that Old Line Infi- 
dels and all Spiritualists virtually acknowledge this by 
constantly quoting Bible teachings in their best efforts 
to moralize ! They cannot avoid it, yet they deny the 
"Book" as we have already shown, and how few hear- 
ers notice the fact ! 

Please remember that when we quote the Bible as 
an authority for facts or morals, we refer to its teach- 
ings, that is, the laws and instructions that were given 
by God through His prophets, His angels, His Christ, 
and His apostles — NOT the sayings of those evil per- 
sons or angels who are brought to view in its history, 
as " the serpent," " false prophets," " sorcerers," " fa- 
miliar spirits," persecuting Jews, ("vipers"), "Satan," 
demons and lunatics. It is common to hear such his- 
tory quoted for Bible doctrine, with and without de- 



206 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

sign, although the difference in character and authority 
is simply immeasurable. 

Again, if only one or two texts are quoted, do not 
conclude that no others are known; there may be a 
good many more. A single plainly stated text, or 

FACT, SHOULD NOT BE SET ASIDE BY SEVERAL AMBIGUOUS, 

or doubtful ones, MUCH LESS, if the plainly stated 
ones are in the majority. 

Of the " Spiritual Phenomena," it may be said that 
a score or more of phases, or modes of presentation 
known as " mediumship," have been noted by Spirit- 
ualists. While we doubt that all of them are real, 
that is, beyond human trickery, yet, our view is so 
broad that it can embrace some that are unreal, and 
still hold our position, for we do not have to beg the 
question. We shall notice the more important or con- 
vincing phases in due time. It is well known that 
Spiritualism claims that its phenomena are produced by 
the " Spirits " of dead persons. By " Spirits " is meant 
" immortal souls," in the common acceptation of the 
term, with the additional claim of ability to commu- 
nicate with the living ; hence it is clear that Spirit- 
ualism is based upon the dogma of the immortality of the 
soul. Now, if one plain text could have been found in 
the teachings of the Bible declaring that man, or any 
part of him was, or is immortal, i. e., undying, inde- 
structible or incorruptible, we should have been a 
Spiritualist of Thirty-five years experience — noted for 
convincing tests in mediumship. We shall explain 
our assertion further on. We have for many years 
held a printed offer of money for furnishing such a 
text as we have named, but have failed to comply 
with the conditions ; and the same reason accounts for 
our non-possession of a fine gold watch which has been 
thus waiting for years. If some one of our readers 
will send the required text to our address (see title 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 207 

page) we will divide the gains of your success, and 
also publish the same ! 

Lest some investigator should send us a copy of 
Satan's Old Saw, " Ye shall not surely die " (Gen. 3 : 
4), which is the only straight (natural) immortality 
text in the Bible, we will say that the author of it only 
figures in Bible Histwy, and not in its teachings, where 
he is called " a liar from the beginning." This is a 
poor recommendation for the foundation of two great 
theories — One of which involves the dogma of eternal 
misery, and the other claims that it will reform the 
world ! Both are unscriptural as we have shown, and 
the latter is fast proving a failure ! 

Our remarks go to show that the Bible does not 
teach natural or inherent immortality; and many 
readers will ask, " Is it not mentioned in the Bible ? " 
Yes, "immortal" is mentioned once, and once only ; and 
" immortality " is mentioned Five times, and only Five ; 
and in no case are the words applied to man, or any 

PART OF HIM, THIS SIDE OF THE RESURRECTION. We give 

you chapter and verse, hoping you may consult them 
carefully. 1 Tim. 1 : 17— Rom. 2 : 7—1 Cor. 15 : 53, 
54—1 Tim. 6 : 16—2 Tim. 1 : 10. So much for the 
negative side of our denial of present or inherent 
immortality. 

We will now consider the positive side, and say, 
first, that man is called mortal in the Old Testament, 
and also in the New. In Asa's prayer — 2 Chron. 14 : 
11 — we read, "0 Lord, Thou art our God; let not 
mortal (margin) man prevail against Thee." Also, 
in Job 4 : 17 — " Shall mortal man be more just than 
God ? " Paul, when discoursing on the Resurrection 
of the dead, says in 1 Cor. 15 : 53, " For this corrupt- 
ible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must 
put on immortality." In the next verse (54) he repeats 
himself thus : " So when this corruptible shall have 



208 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on 
immortality, THEN shall be brought to pass the say- 
ing that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory ! " 
If it be objected that the term " man " is used rather 
than " soul " or " spirit," we answer that it was 
Man, whom God proposed to make, Gen. 1 : 26, 
Man, whom God made, Gen. 2 : 7, 
Man, who received the breath of life, Gen. 2 : 7, 
Man, who then became a living soul, Gen. 2 : 7, 
Man, who was put into the garden, Gen. 2 : 15, 
Man, to whom laws were given, Gen. 2 : 16, 17, 
Man, who came to know good and evil, Gen. 3 : 22, 
Man, who sinned by breaking the laws, Gen. 3 : 6, 
Man, who was driven from the garden, Gen. 3 : 24, 
Man, who was sentenced to punishment, Gen. 3 : 19, 
Man, who was punished with death, Gen. 5 : 5, 
Man, who will be resurrected by Christ, John 5 : 29 
— a wonderful example in John 11 : 43, 44, 

Man, who will appear for judgment, Matt. 25 : 31, 
MAN, who, if judged to be faithful, will be rewarded 
with " eternal life," Rom. 6 : 23, and Matt. 25 : 46, and 
it is 

MAN, who, if judged to be unrighteous, will be pun- 
ished with EVERLASTING DESTRUCTION (not 
everlasting misery), 2 Thess. 1 : 9, Rev. 21 : 8. In all 
cases it is the man — NOT a part of him, aside and 
away from the other parts of him. 

Now, Candid Reader admits this fact, but he is still 
in doubt concerning the first question which any theory 
of punishment always suggests, and asks : If God is 
All-powerful, and All-goodness, and All- wisdom, why 
did He not make man so good that he would not sin, but 
always do right ? The following triple-pointed hypo- 
thesis, to the author entirely satisfactory, is an answer 
to the very interesting question, and it is stated thus : 
1. God, by His power could have made man with a 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 209 

sinless and worshipful nature, and immortal, as well. 
Such worship, however, would be extorted or forced. 

2. He, in His goodness has provided a way for man 
to obtain " glory and honor, and eternal life." 

3. God, in His wisdom saw fit to choose for an acces- 
sion, in due time, to His "innumerable company of an- 
gels " (Heb. 12 : 22), " a great multitude [of mankind] 
which no man can number, of all nations, and kindreds, 
and people, and tongues" (Rev. 7: 9), who shall prove 
during their probationary trial here, that they worship 
Him because they choose to do so — not because they 
are forced to do it : hence, they have immortality to gain 
by obedience, thus making it CONDITIONAL. The 
reason ivhy God chose this method still remains within 
the circle of His wisdom. 

With this view of the question under notice, we can 
discover present beauty and future glory in the wisdom 
of God and His plan of redemption which gives immor- 
tality to those and to those only who accept Christ as 
a Saviour, and a complete ransom. But how different 
the doctrine taught by many ! In Weninger's Cate- 
chism, p. 17, may be found the following colloquy : 

"Ques. Of what does man consist? 

Ans. Of a body, and a rational and immortal soul ! 

Ques. What is the soul ? 

Ans. A spiritual being endowed with will, memory, 
and understanding. 

Ques. Who were the first of the human race created 
by God? 

Ans. Adam and Eve. 

Ques. How did God create Adam ? 

Ans. He made his body out of the earth and breathed 
into it an immortal soul ! " 

But the Bible says, Gen. 2 : 7—" And the Lord God 
formed man out of the dust of the earth and breathed 

14 



210 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a 
living soul." 

We purpose to accept God's Revelation to man, and 
let man's tradition, and Satan's theology perish. 

The Hebrew word, ruach, and its corresponding Greek 
word, pneuma, occur 785 times in the Bible, and are 
translated " spirit " 529 times with no qualifications de- 
noting incorruptibility or immortality. They are used in 
Four different senses, viz. : 

1. Influence, as " The Spirit of God moved upon 
the face of the waters." Gen. 1 : 2. 

2. Wind and breath, as " They heard the voice of 
the Lord God walking in the cool [margin wind] of the 
day," Gen. 3:8; and " Behold I, even I, do bring a 
flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh 
wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven." Gen. 
6: 17. 

3. State of feeling, as " Then their anger [margin, 
spirit] was abated toward him, when he had said that," 
Judges 8:3; and "As soon as we heard these things, 
our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more 
courage in any man, because of you," Josh. 2 : 11. 
And we claim that state of feeling is the mother of char- 
acter, what or whoever the father may be. 

4. A being, as angels, good or evil. 

We have already noted a list of Forty-two kinds or 
phases of " Spirit " found in the Bible — all included in 
the four senses above named, but in no case are they 
called immortal ; neither are the words ruach and 
pneuma ever translated soul, although many suppose 
that " soul " and " spirit " are one and the same thing ! 
The term soul is oftener used among religious people 
than spirit, and commonly with the idea that it is the 
" conscious," or " thinking " part of man, and that it is 
immortal. As much depends upon the truth or falsity 
of the proposition, we will notice it. 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 211 

Perhaps our readers would like to view the subject 
from a human stand-point, clearly and briefly ; there- 
fore the author will step aside and let Prof. J. Stanley 
Grimes come to the front with his able remarks upon 
" Consciousness," and its relations — if any — to " im- 
mortality ; " or, more plainly stated, whether immor- 
tality is inherent, or natural to man. We quote from 
" Mesmerism and Magic Eloquence," pp. 109-112, 
which is as follows : 

If man is necessarily immortal because he is endowed with 
an indestructible organ of consciousness, then so is every in- 
sect and reptile, and all the infinite variety of vermin that 
have ever infested the earth ; and science offers as powerful an 
argument in favor of their immortality as that of man. Of all 
the investigations of scientific men, none has excited the jeal- 
ousy of sectarians as much as the one we have now under con- 
sideration ; almost every philosopher who has manifested a dis- 
position to approach the subject fearlessly, and speak of it with 
independence, has had the mad-dog cry raised against him of 
"Fatalism" "Materialism" or "Heresy" 

Many of our modern authors have been so far influenced by 
this outcry, that they have evidently suppressed their true sen- 
timents, and smothered their conscientious convictions, to avoid 
the relentless persecutions which arise from bigotry and super- 
stition. The only road to the favor of this potent and numer- 
ous class of tyrants, is to make a profound mystery of every- 
thing relating to mind ; all explanation, or even demonstration, 
is condemned by them as unpardonable heresy, dangerous to re- 
ligion, and inconsistent with their own narrow views of the Holy 
Scriptures. Nothing has had so injurious an effect upon the 
fair and successful investigation of this subject, as even the 
well-meant interference of these self-appointed theological crit- 
ics, and nothing can be more injudicious and misplaced than 
their animadversions. The truth is, the subject is not fairly 
within their jurisdiction, and therefore they have no right to 
meddle with it. 

The immortality of the soul can neither be proved nor 
disproved by the demonstrations of natural science. we 
may examine the nerves and the brain as much as we please ; 
we may prove to a certainty that consciousness maintains its 
seat in the very centre of the oblongata ; we may determine the 
precise, individual, ultimate atom in which it resides with all 



212 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

its prerogatives, where it receives its impressions through the 
senses, and sends forth its mandates through the motor nerves; 
we may prove that it is dependent upon the various phreno- 
organs,*the currents of Etherium, and their modifications in the 
different avenues ; and yet the subject is as far beyond our compre- 
hension as before : we can discover nothing that illustrates 
or illuminates immortality ! If all was doubt and obscurity 
when we began the search by the light of nature, reason, and 
science, it is equally obscure now ; and from the nature of 
the subject it could not possibly be otherwise. We have come 
to the wrong place to learn the nature of the immortal princi- 
ple of the human soul, or to find evidence for or against this 
important doctrine. Suppose it proved that consciousness in 
this temporal life does actually depend upon a compound ma- 
terial organ, which at death is decomposed so as to render con- 
sciousness by that organ impossible ; suppose this demonstrated, 
beyond all question ; would this be admitted as decisive 
proof that the soul is not immortal ? 

Again, suppose it demonstrated that consciousness is depen- 
dent upon .a single indestructible atom ; would this be suffi- 
cient TO SATISFY US CONCERNING THE IMMORTALITY OF MAN ? We 

may conjecture what we will, and speculate until we have ex- 
hausted all the resources of our ingenuity, without solving the 
question of our future destiny. Consciousness certainly does 

EXIST IN MAN AND EVERY OTHER LIVING ANIMAL, AND HAS ITS 
SEAT AT THE POINT WHERE SENSATION TERMINATES AND VOLITION 

commences ; this is all that we can know. The condition 
of human consciousness after death is a matter of religious 

FAITH, BUT NOT OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE. 

Immortality is like one of those fixed and beautiful stars 
that cannot be perceived by the unaided eye ; but divine reve- 
lation is like a powerful telescope, which brings that star clearly 
to view. 

Be it, then, hereafter remembered, that " Eternal life and 
immortality is brought to light through the gospel of Jesus Christ" 
and not through anatomy and physiology, nor any other 
department of scientific investigation. The subject is in- 
finitely beyond the reach and above the comprehension of 
finite intellect and human reason. If any one wishes to find 
evidence of the immortality of the soul, let him go to 
the Bible. If he rejects this testimony, I can assure him that 
he will find it proved nowhere else. He will look to hu- 
man science in vain — it can only lead him to the grave, and 
there leave him. [Capitals are ours. — Author.] 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 213 

We cheerfully accept the able advice of Prof. Grimes, 
and look to the Bible for " immortal-soul " evidence, 
seeing that so rnanv claim it from that source; but we 
think a few facts may effectually dispose of this form 
of Satan's lie as given by the medium in Eden. 

Thousands of Bible students know that the Hebrew 
word, nephesh, in the Old Testament, and the corre- 
sponding Greek word, psuche, in the New Testament, 
occur, in all, more than 800 times in the Bible. They 
are translated soul 533 times, but it is NOT ONCE 
called immortal ! ! 

It is found that these words are also rendered crea- 
ture, man, mind, person, life and lives, 218 times, yet 
these, like the word soul, are not said to be immortal ! ! 
We say again, that a fact cannot be changed by elo- 
quence, erudition, subtlety or force ; and IT IS A FACT 
that although the terms, soul, spirit, creature, man, 
mind, person, life and lives, with others not men- 
tioned, occur [as translations from the original words 
which we noticed] more than 1,600 times in the Bible ; 
yeU IN NO CASE are the terms, Undying, Unending, 
Imperishable, Indivisible, Intangible, Uncompounded, 
Indissoluble, Indestructible, Incorruptible or Immortal 
used to describe or qualify them ! ! 

Another point : if Candid Reader and Honest Skep- 
tic will turn to the first chapter in a reference Bible 
they will find at verse 20, the word, " life," and just 
before it a figure, or sign, referring them to a similar 
figure or sign on the margin of the page, where the 
word u soul " is seen in italic letters. This shows that 
" soul " is also a proper rendering of the Hebrew word 
rendered " life " in the text ; furthermore, the same 
word occurs in the same verse, and is rendered " mov- 
ing creature." It also occurs in verses 21 and 24, 
where it is translated "living creature," in each case, 
and is applied to fish, fowl, and also to beasts ! More- 



214 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

over, it proves that the word translated "soul/' occurs 
Four times BEFORE man was made ! ! 

Now, how about the theory that the soul is the 
" thinking, knowing, accountable and immortal" part of 
MAN, when the record declares that sea, earth and air 
abounded with " souls " that wore fins, feathers and 
horns, before man was made ? ( ! ! ) 

We think this is a theological dilemma which needs 
more true theology to keep it from being funny, for it 
suggests a logical dilemma too good for the waste-bas- 
ket. Many years ago we read of a certain son of Erin 
whose ready sayings made many new acquaintances. 
On asking such an one his name, he was told that it 
was " Finnegan," when he exclaimed, "Arn is Finnegan 
yer name? Indade, I knew two ould maids be that 
name, in Tipperary — sure, they weren't yer mother, were 
they ? " We like Pat's dilemma the best, for it did less 
harm. 

But some good " doubting Thomas " may desire 
more evidence that man is not immortal, so we quote 
Ezekiel 18:4: " The soul that sinneth, it shall die ! " 
Again, in verse 20, it is repeated : "The soul that sin- 
neth, IT SHALL DIE ! " Lastly, Jesus teaches in Matt. 
10 : 28, that soul and body CAN BE DESTROYED, 
therefore it is NOT IMMORTAL ! Despite the over- 
whelming evidence we have presented, and also Judges 
5:27, where " death " and " destroyed " are synony- 
mous terms (see margin), there are those who will look 
us in the face and argue that " destroy " means endless 
life in misery ! ! They merit and receive our forbear- 
ance, and, also, our kind indifference to further discus- 
sion with them. 

We have found that man — "body, soul and spirit" 
— 1 Thess. 5 : 23 — as if Paul had said body and life 
[making a living person], and sensation- — spirit, here, 
must be accepted in its third sense — state of feeling, 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 215 

which, when under trial, manifests character — in fact, 
the entire man is made accountable. We find, too, 
that the Bible does not call him immortal, and 
that his experience and surroundings in this life do not 
prove that he is so ; that the Bible does call him mortal, 
and that his experience in this life proves the fact; and 
that he obtains immortality by accepting the require- 
ments of the Gospel, thus showing it to be CONDI- 
TIONAL ; hence, not inherent in him. 

Now, seeing that neither body, soul nor spirit in man 
or beast is immortal, we must look elsewhere for the 
directing intelligence and power which is necessary to 
produce the real Spiritual Phenomena, which are known 
as " Spiritualism." The unreal phenomena were noticed 
in our First Topic. 

We claim, here and now, that angels — evil angels — 
produce such phenomena, when " conditions are favor- 
able," and that " mediums," and hence others, are de- 
ceived by them, and led to believe that they are the 
" spirits '' of their friends, who are really dead, but who 
(in a moment, to them) will be resurrected in due time. 
A careful investigation will convince the intelligent 
reader who is candid with himself, that such is the 
case ; for he will consider the evidence which we offer, 
and thus discover the object, and also the character of 
the directing intelligences. 

Now, we are asked, " What are angels ? " We find 
that " angel " means " messenger, or messenger of God 
— spiritual, intelligent beings, who, according to the 
Scriptures, execute the will of God — serve Deity." 
They were thought to be spirits with ethereal bodies, 
and this doctrine of the Church was established by the 
Council of Nice in a. d. 787. The Lateran Council of 
1215, however, decided to accept them as immaterial 
beings. 

According to Joseph us, the Romans taught that the 



216 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

souls of soldiers killed in battle " would become good 
demons and propitious heroes ; " but, that " if they died 
by common causes their souls were condemned to the 
grave, together with their bodies." We find that the 
word " demon " originally meant a spirit, either good 
or bad ; hence the qualifying word, " good," in our 
quotation. But it has long been used to denote an evil 
spirit or angel, in contradistinction to holy angels, of 
the Bible account — those who kept their " first estate." 

Nearly all religious sects have believed more or less 
in angels, though some, like the Sadducees — Acts 23 : 
8 — believe in no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit. 

Spiritualism teaches that angels were human spirits, 
who, since they left their bodies through death, have 
" progressed " by culture and refinement in the " Spirit 
world " until they have become angels ! Many are 
daily added to the throng already under discipline on 
" the other side," according to the theory. 

At a seance held in the Banner of Light Office, and 
reported in that paper, under date of June 19, 1886, 
the " controlling spirit " consented to answer a question 
which was then proposed, and in doing so, concluded 
with the following language : 

Man, having grown wise through experience, having grown 
powerful through knowledge, having come into perfect sympathy 
with his fellows, will have attained that degree of wisdom 
which will allow him to apply all the principles of his life to a 
grand development of the interior soul. When we reach this 
stage, we may look upon man as having gained the utmost of 
discipline from this human experience of earth, and ready to 
press forward, himself an angel among angels, himself almost a 
god, having arrived at the stage of beatitude such as only the 
divine can know. 

This plainly teaches that man, or as another " spirit " 
says, u his spirit" may become an angel, regardless of 
death or dissolution. To this agrees the following 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 217 

spirit teachings at a seance which was reported in the 
Banner of Light, June 6, 1887. 

Q. — How do spirits and angels prevent coming in collision 
with each other when traveling through space at great speed ? 
Do the angels have wings ? 

A. — Angels, or ministering spirits — messengers, as we prefer 
to call them — may traverse space, as we have said, very swiftly, 
by the power of the will alone. Such spirits are clear-sighted, 
can perceive objects and beings at far distances, and understand 
how to guide themselves so as not to come into collision with 
those objects or beings ; but spirits of any class are in no more 
danger of coming into collision with each other — hardly as 
much — as are you of earth in traveling from point to point. It 
sometimes happens that spirits who are not very clear-sighted, 
and are undeveloped in spiritual power, and environed by 
earthly conditions, may come into forcible contact with each 
other; there is then a certain shock, so to speak, to the two 
bodies, such as you sometimes experience when coming in 
contact with the electric battery. No, angels certainly do not 
have wings. We have never seen a human being of any class 
or quality, or in any condition of life, with these appendages. 

Angels, ministering spirits, or exalted intelligences of the 
higher life, it is true, travel swiftly, but they have no need of 
such appendages as wings, for it is the human will alone which 
gives them locomotive power. Through the exercise of this 
will, the grandest, most vital force in the universe, a spirit 
exalted enough, with wisdom sufficient, may travel from one 
end of the globe or the universe to the other, without difficulty, 
in a comparatively short period of time. 

The following question was answered through the 
Trance mediumship of Mr. W. J. Colville, as reported 
in the Banner of Light, Nov. 7, 1885 : 

Q. — Is the angelic world on earth ? 

A. — Of course it is not on this earth. The angelic world is 
beyond the orbits of all the planets in the solar system, beyond 
the inter-steilar spaces where those souls commingle together 
who have perfected their lives upon different planets in 
different systems. However, you may attain to the angelic 
state while yet in the physical body ; you become angelic 
simply when you always desire to do right, and never do wrong 



218 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

except from ignorance. As soon as you have overcome all 
malice and selfishness, as soon as all your motives are pure, 
whatever may be the extent of your knowledge, then you are 
entitled to the epithet, angel. 

Please read this " answer " again and keep in mind 
Spiritualism's standard of right and wrong which we 
have so plainly shown ; also, the fact, that if these 
"spirits" were asked to define "right desire" and 
" wrong doing," they would use Bible terms ! and lastly, 
that the idea of man's spirit or any part of him ever 
becoming an angel, is as foreign to Bible teachings as 
are criticisms of " Hoyle's Games ! " 

At a regular seance, as reported in the Banner of 
Light, Jan. 9, 1886, the "controlling spirit," when 
speaking through the medium, Miss M. T. Shelhamer, 
said : 

Spiritualism teaches that there is a divinity in every life 
which may be wrought, developed, strengthened and expanded, 
until man universally shall become not merely a little lower 
than the angels, but an angel himself, beatified in every part 
and portion of his being. 

We clipped the following from Light for Thinkers, a 
Spiritualist paper published in Chattanooga, Tenn. ? 
and dated Oct. 16, 1886: 

Angels are messengers developed from human organisms 
whose souls by transition are enabled to comprehend in a 
higher degree the mysteries of the laws of life. Their human 
love and affection not lost but intensified, comprehending 
better than mortals the necessity for elevation and development, 
and returning are messengers, bearing intelligences that teach 
us a higher life. They, gathering their wisdom from sources 
still higher, continually communicate between the visible and 
invisible world, fellow-servants, but glorified by experience. 

Angels are the spirit messengers from the fountain of life, 
bringing life-giving forces, hope-inspiring sentences, encourage- 
ment in affliction, and proofs of immortality. 

The following quotation is said to be from another 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 219 

spirit, through another medium, as claimed, and pur- 
ports to be a discourse by Wendell Phillips (deceased), 
through the trance mediumship of Mrs. Cora L. V. 
Richmond in Chicago, and published in the Banner of 
Light, April 25, 1885 : 

I understand that it is possible, through death, for human 
spirits to become angels, for angels to become of higher and 
more wonderful estate ; but the more wonderful that estate, the 
less important must it be to express it to ears that cannot hear, 
to reveal it to eyes that cannot see, or attempt to make it under- 
standable to those who cannot understand. 

We have now acquainted our readers with " spirit " 
ideas of angels, by giving verbatim quotations from the 
" spirit world," as claimed, and other authority, thus 
proving that spiritualism teaches that angels are 
advanced human spirits. The Bible nowhere men- 
tions the doctrine, to teach it, and we shall now spring 
a fact upon the theory which will let the false bottom 
drop out of it at once. According to the oldest and 
most reliable authority known it is a fact that angels 
existed before any human being died ! This shows at 
once the error of the claim that angels were human 
spirits whose bodies are dead. 

Moreover, we find that angels existed before man 
was made ! Nor is this all ; for it is logically conclu- 
sive that angels assisted in making man ! ! " what 
strange ideas ! " exclaims Honest Skeptip, " where 
does he get them ? " Our answer is, in the first Chapter 
in the Bible, at the Twenty-fifth verse, where we read, 
"And God said, let us make man in our image, after 
our likeness. . ." 

Again, in the Third Chap., ver. 22, we read, "And 
the Lord God said, : Behold the man is become as one 
of us, to know good and evil.' " The expression, " Let 
us make man," implies more persons than the one 



220 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

making the proposal, " us " being in the plural number ; 
and please remember that the expression was used 
before man was made, and that the same " us " was 
used after he was made, and all in the same account, 
or narrative. 

Now a full chorus of questioners with Honest Skeptic 
for a mouth-piece, hastily ask, " Who was with God at 
that time ? " We answer, " Cherubim." " But who, 
or what are Cherubim ? " " Cherubim " is a Hebrew 
word in the plural form, Cherub being in the singular, 
which means one angel ; hence, Cherubim means two or 
more angels. The word occurs in the concluding verse 
of the Third Chapter, which also is the conclusion of 
the account of the Creation of man, and his expulsion 
from Eden. It is spelled with the English plural, s, 
which is wrong, as the Hebrew plural im is sufficient. 
These Two, or more angels, or " mighty ones," consti- 
tuted the " us," in question. The claim, that " Christ 
was there," will be met in our Sixth Topic. It may 
now be said 

OF ANGELS: 

1. They are a higher order of beings than man, and 
were created before he was made. See Heb. 2:7; also 
Job 1 : 6, and 38 : 1-7, where it is evident that they 
are called " Morning Stars," and " Sons of God," before 
Earth was .organized from chaotic matter. In Gen. 3 : 
24, too, they are called Cherubim before any man 
died, as we have already seen. 

2. Bodily, angels are, without doubt material in their 
formation, though of far less density or grossness than 
our own ponderable personalities. To say that intelli- 
gent beings are immaterial, we think would be a flat- 
footed absurdity. Immaterial is simply no material, 
i. e., nothing. Exactly speaking, wo-thing is the nega- 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 221 

tion of some-thing, and it admits no attribute, hypothesis, 
nor condition. 

We have Three reasons for believing that angels have 
the same general form and contour which man possesses : 

First, the expression, " in our image, and in our like- 
ness," conveys the idea that these celestial assistants 
have the form of man, who is the " image of God." 

Second, whenever seen, whether in vision, as related 
by Isaiah, Chap. 6, and many times by John, in the 
Book of Revelation, or seen in person, face to face, as 
did Manoah and his wife, in Judges 13 : 1—21, or Dan- 
iel, in Dan. 9 : 21, and John, in Rev. 22 : 8, they are 
alwavs mentioned or described as having the general 
form of man. Even Gabriel is called both man and 
angel, Dan. 9 : 21, Luke 1 : 26. 

Third, their manner of communication is always 
the same as that of man ; they talk as a " man speaketh 
to his friend" 

3. Angels were good when they were made. So was 
man. (See Gen. 1 : 31.) Neither were holy. So, too, 
neither were immortal ; they had immortality to gain 
by becoming holy. Holiness is goodness but goodness 
is not holiness, per se. Holiness in man is that char- 
acter which is the result of successful trial. Man was 
placed on trial, or probation, and failed — the whole fam- 
ily. See Gen. Chap. 3. Angels were placed on trial, 
and only a part of their number fell, i. e., sinned. See 
2 Peter 2 : 4, and Jude, ver. 7. Here is a fact with a 
Moral attached to it ; for those angels who did not fall, 
are a standing evidence to us that we need not, if we 
will not, fail to secure eternal life ; hence their perse- 
verance, as well as their influence, should be an encour- 
agement to man. 

4. Angels have various names or titles, in the Bible, 
and the following compend will be of use to many who 



222 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

are interested in the subject, as a reference. They are 
called : 

Angel and angels, 167 times. 
Angel of the Lord, 61 " 
Angels of God, 8 " 

His Angels, 17 " 

Cherub and Cherubim, 41 " 
Seraphim (in vision), Isaiah 6 : 2 

Gods, Psalms 97 : 7 

Chariots, " 68 : 17 

God's Hosts, Gen. 32 : 2 ; Ps. 103 : 21, and 148 : 2 
Spirits (not human spirits), Heb. 1 : 7, 14 ; Ps. 104 : 4 
Watchers, Dan. 4 : 13 and 17; 

Holy Ones, " 4 : 13, 17. 

Thrones, Dominions, Principalities, and Powers are 
mentioned in Col. 1 : 16, where it evidently refers to 
angels. 

These various titles indicate rank, and we may sup- 
pose that some are rulers of Dominions and Principali- 
ties, and sit on Thrones as Powers, while others, like 
Gabriel, mighty in wisdom and action, are sent (not 
called) on important business, which they transact 
quickly and correctly. One is called Michael the Arch- 
angel, in Jude, Ver. 9, and is called Chief, or a the 
first" (see margin), in Dan. 10 : 13. Hence we read of 
" Michael and his angels," in Rev. 12 : 7. Some think 
there are Seven chief angels, of which Michael is one, 
and also the leader, which is, virtually, the same thing. 
It has also been claimed that " Michael " means Christ, 
that is, stands for, or refers to Christ ; but we think the 
claim will not stand when confronted with available 
data touching that question. 

5. Angels as seen in visions in Bible historv have 
wings, and are said to fly ; and the cherubim placed upon 
the " Mercy-seat " were made with wings of beaten gold 
— see Exodus, Chapters 25 and 37 — and though to the 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 223 

eye they suggest flying motion, yet to the understanding 
mind, as a symbol, they denote protection. " Wings " 
make the best poetic metaphor and the greatest sym- 
bol of personal protection of which the mind can con- 
ceive ! Do you doubt it ? Why, the eagle can deal a 
death-blow to some kinds of its prey with its wings 
only, and at the same time cover and protect the eag- 
lets from harm ! If Honest Skeptic will read about 
" wings" in Psalms 17, 3G, 61, 63, 91, and other Scrip- 
tures, he will find that what the wings are to the eagle, 
the angels are to the Almighty, as an operating force, 
and that His will is their pleasure ; while their power 
is but a degree of His almighty power. 

It is no wonder that David desired to " hide under 
the shadow of his wings" (Ps. 17 : 8), and when we 
remember that protection sometimes consists in the fact 
of sudden flight, we see that " wings " make the sym- 
bol complete. 

On examination, we fail to find one case in the Bible 
where angels are said to have wings, in a natural, or 
literal sense ; but we do find in Rev. 22 : 8 and else- 
where, that they are mentioned as having head, face, 
feet, hands and man's speech. This goes far to sustain 
our theory that the lesser parties constituting the " us " 
aforementioned, were made in the same form in which 
man, who is the image of God, was afterward created, 
but not with wings. 

Again, we cannot see why wings are absolutely neces- 
sary for swift travel in the case of angels, as a minia- 
ture cyclone properly guided and of sufficient force to 
move such a being one mile per minute, would be so 
inconsiderable in size and operation that it could not be 
seen with human eyes ! 

Now, inasmuch as our Spiritualist friends do not 
claim wings for their ideal angel, but the power of 
" will," for a moving force, our own friends (in theory) 



224 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

may feel alarmed at this apparently needless concession ; 
but do not be alarmed : always remember that no fact, 
even if it were peculiar to Spiritualism, will ever con- 
flict with the teachings of the Bible. We will not 
knowingly deny such facts, but rather try to present 
them fairly, and apply them properly. When this is 
done, all candid persons will see the real supports of 
each theoretical edifice. 

G. On admitting the theory of the foregoing para- 
graph, and the fact that angels are, in every case, 
mentioned in the masculine gender, and often as pos- 
sessing great power and wisdom, we conclude that the 
pictures seen in books and on headstones in cemeteries 
representing women and children — even babies — hav- 
ing wings attached to them, are drawn from imagina- 
tion, and not from Scriptural facts. And remember, 
that although mentioned in different ways more than 
One Thousand times in the Bible, angels are never 
said to be any part of man, nor do they ever claim it ! 
This is consistent with the fact that they are a differ- 
ent order of beings, and prior to man, as we have 
seen. 

7. This brings us to a very interesting question, 
which we have raised and studied in connection with 
this subject, and one which we have never heard from 
others. The question is whether the messengers who 
were sent to Abraham and to Lot — Gen. chapters 18 
and 19 — were heavenly messengers, i. e., " angels of 
the Lord " or " holy angels," or whether they were men 
who were directed by God's Influence, or by " His 
angel," to deliver the messages in person, orally, as 
stated in the chapters quoted. 

We accept the latter proposition, and claim that they 
were men in the highest sense of the term ; that their 
fine nervous make-up, being in magnetism negative, 
therefore receptive in mind, made them very suscept- 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 225 

ible to influences from God, whose servants they were 
at all times. We notice : 

First, That they are called men in both cases, though 
they are called angels in one case. 

Second, They accepted the invitations of their hosts 
and ate of a " calf, tender and good," of " cakes," of 
" butter," and of " milk," and of " unleavened bread ! " 
They were politely received when they approached the 
" gate," and the " tent," and were respectfully treated 
when they took their leave. No claims are here made 
for visions, spirits, or conditions. They were, we think, 
men of God, rather than angels of God ; albeit, in this 
case, they did angel's work as messengers, and in this 
particular sense are they said to be angels. 

Third, In all the accounts of human intercourse with 
angels, as given in the Bible, the Two which we have 
noticed stand alone in the matter of angels eating and 
drinking with men as men. This will surprise a great 
many who, like the author, were taught to believe that 
angels were immaterial ; but could, when they saw fit, 
become material and eat food like men. Have we not 
shown the idea to be palpably absurd — nothing eating 
something — only to drop again into nothing ! ! 

We find that " angels of the Lord " may be visible ta 
men, even seen face to face, as in the case of Gideon, 
in the sixth chapter of Judges, and elsewhere in the 
Bible. They " appear" suddenly, perform their work 
and mission at once, and " depart" or disappear, as 
suddenly. They never call for food, nor will they eat 
if it be offered them. 

A highly interesting account of two visits by an 
" angel of the Lord " to the home of Manoah, in Zorah, 
may be found in Judges 13. Manoah's wife said of 
him that " his countenance was like the countenance 
of an angel of God, very terrible." Matthew says of 
one, in chapter 28 : 3, that " his countenance was like 

15 



226 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

lightning, and his raiment was white as snow ; and for 
fear of him the keepers (of the sepulchre) did shake, 
and became as dead men." This graphic description 
of an angel is in strange contrast with a fine picture 
of a beautiful woman with witching curls and graceful 
wings, or a chubby-faced baby blonde with cherub wing- 
lets ! Yet many hold such ideas of angels ! 

Although the angel in the account before us is 
called " the angel of the Lord " Eight times, he is also 
called " man of God," and " the man ; " indeed Manoah 
wished him to tarry until a kid should be prepared for 
a meal, " not knowing that he was an angel of the 
Lord." He refused to eat with him, but suggested 
that he offer a burnt-offering unto the Lord. Manoah 
then asked his name, but the angel told him that it was 
secret, or " wonderful." (See margin.) The kid was 
then prepared, and while the offering was burning, 
Manoah and his wife saw that " he did wondrously," 
for he " ascended in the flame of the altar." " Then 
Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord." 

Again, we learn, in Judges 6, that an angel of the 
Lord appeared to Gideon, and when he had made 
ready a meal of unleavened bread, and of a kid, the 
angel, so far from eating of it, surprised Gideon by 
consuming it with fire, and " then departed out of his 
sight ! " Then " Gideon perceived that he was an angel 
of the Lord" and exclaimed, "Alas, Lord God, for 
because I have seen an angel of the Lord, face to 
face." Thus we find that angels are a higher order of 
beings than man, hence they do not eat with him as 
men, albeit they look much like him. 

8. The effective physical power of angels is very 
great. It far exceeds that of man's natural strength, 
as when Daniel was saved from the jaws of the lions 
— chap. 6 : 32 — or when the great stone was rolled away 
from the sepulchre, although guarded by Roman sol- 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 227 

diers — Matt. 28 : 2 — or when one opened the Prison- 
doors at Jerusalem, Acts 12 : 7. Hence the Psalmist 
says that the angels " excel in strength," or are " mighty 
in strength." (Margin.) 

We might speak of the 185,000 Assyrian soldiers 
in Isa. 37 : 36, who were slain in one night by " the 
angel of the Lord," and become dazed by the figures 
which are obtained by comparing statements in the 
Bible concerning angels. In Matt. 26 : 3, Jesus claims 
a protective force of " Twelve Legions of angels," if 
He should ask for them ! A Roman Legion is about 
Six Thousand ; therefore, Twelve Legions are 72,000. 
Now, if One angel could destroy 185,000 soldiers, then 
72,000 might destroy 72,000 times as many; hence 
185,000x72,000 is 13,320,000,000, which, if all sol- 
diers, would not equal the practical force of this body- 
guard of angels ! ! 

Again this is more than a thousand times the number 
of able-bodied men now living on earth, and if this be 
but a body-guard taken from an "innumerable com- 
pany," how say many Theologians that sin and Satan 
will exist eternally in spite of such a force under 
Almighty direction?? But we charge the theory of 
such an eternity to Serpen t-to-Eve-Theology, given at 
the first seance in Eden, from which it came. 

9. The number of good angels is not known, but it 
is represented as being very great. Those mentioned in 
Ps. 68 : 17, are also called "Chariots," and are said to 
be 20,000, even "many Thousands" (see margin). 
From this text and Ex. 23 : 20-23, we get the idea that 
these are special messengers, swift in motion, and 
perhaps symbolized in Isaiah's vision, by "Seraphim" 
having wings, which we have noticed. Angels, in Heb. 
12 : 22, are said to be " an innumerable company," 
which indefinite number we gladly accept. 

10. We have reason to believe that each good, God- 



228 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

serving person has an angel as a " watcher," or guardian 
to encourage and protect him until his (good) work is 
done. [0, then, ye lovers of good, and of doing good 
— as Jesus did — be at once, and for all of your time 
ashamed of faintheartedness in contending for the 
right.] By angels we do not mean a mythical shade, 
neither any part of man, but a good angel, as such, to 

' ; MINISTER TO THOSE WHO SHALL BE HEIRS OF SALVATION." 

We read of a woman who had Seven evil angels, or 
" devils," but Christianity, pure and simple, dispersed 
them, and the woman was left a medium, still ; but 
Gh ! how changed in character — not for evil spirits or 
demons, but for good ones w]io obey God, and teach the 
doctrines of the Bible. And it is so to-day. God does 
the same work now, for those who wish it done for 
them. 

Returning to our topic, we remark that the first verse 
in the Book of Revelation intimates that Jesus had a 
special angel, and in the last Chapter, verse 16, He says, 
" mine angel," thus strongly suggesting a particular 
angel attendant and messenger. In Acts 12 : 15, we 
find that the term, " his angel," is used in the sense of 
Peters angel — not his " shade," or " immortal spirit," 
for they had no reason to think that his " body was 
dead " — as many say in these days. 

A plainer proof is found in Matt. 18 : 10, where, in 
speaking of His disciples who are called " little ones 
which believe in me " (sixth verse), He says : " Their 
angels do always behold the face of my Father which 
is in heaven." To this also agrees the experience of 
all devoted Christians who have made the subject a 
study. Moreover, in the Seventh Chapter of Rev., 
where we learn that John was permitted to see in vis- 
ion all the good in earth's history assembled, not only 
of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles — " of all Nations, 
and Kindreds, and People, and Tongues," — he says it 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 229 

was " A GREAT MULTITUDE WHICH NO MAN COULD NUMBER." 

In the preceding paragraph (9) we have shown that 
angels were estimated in the same way — simply " in- 
numerable." For reasons here given, and which agree 
with personal experience, we conclude that each good 
person has a celestial attendant who may assist in doing 
God's will — not ours — at all times. Hence the impor- 
tance of earnest prayer to Him who may direct angels 
in our behalf, but we should not pray to them, for 
they will not be called, nor worshipped, as we shall see 
further on. 

11. Angels are not only messengers, bringing news, 
welcome or unwelcome, but they may be sent to com- 
fort and strengthen such as are under trial of faith, or 
are tempted to do wrong, which is a trial of character. 
See Matt. 4 : 11, and Luke 22 : 43. 

12. Angels serve as guards. See Gen. 3 : 24, and Ps. 
34 : 7. How often they have guarded us we do not 
know — doubtless very many times when we did not 
know of it. 

13. When angels make themselves known to man- 
kind, they are visible and audible, and thus hold con- 
versation properly. 

14. When seen, they appear bodily, look like men, 
and speak the same language as do the persons whom 
they address. Judges 13 ; Dan. 9 : 21, 22. 

15. Angels do not pretend to be men, women, nor 
children ; neither do they claim to be their spirits, nor 
any part of them. 

16. Angels are sent, as seen in Luke 1 : 26 ; but they 
are never called. After one had appeared to Ma- 
noah's wife, he was not entreated to come again, but Ma- 
noah asked the Lord to send him again, and the angel 
came. If angels or spirits come on call, they are evil 
ones, though such may come on pretence, unbidden, as 
in Matt. 4:3, but they are easily proved and dispersed 



230 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

by vigorously applying the Scriptures to them, as Jesus 
did in the Chapter quoted. 

17. Angels always come on important business, either 
in word or work, or, perhaps, both. 

18. They do not wait a year or two to get a chance 
to call on friends, or complain that " conditions have 
not been favorable." Nor do they let Sixty or Seventy 
Generations pass away before they tell a world an all 
important fact ; and much less if they did so, would 
the " fact " prove to be an old lie placed in a new dress, 
in order to deceive the whole world, if possible, as do 
evil angels, or demons ! 

19. In their doctrines — Heb. 2 : 2 — the angels stead- 
fastly present the teachings of the Bible, and always 
acknowledge God as its author. 

20. Angels do not contradict the Bible. 

21. They do not contradict each other. 

22. They do not teach that dead men's spirits are 
conscious entities. 

23. Angels do not teach eternal misery. 

24. They do not teach progression after death, 
nor spheres for man or spirits. 

25. Angels make no mistakes, and they tell no 

LIES. 

In arranging the above series of paragraphs we are 
partly indebted to William Shepherd's excellent tract 
on " The Existence of Holy Angels," and also to a 
MS. brief, by Rev. H. L. Hastings, Editor of The 
Ch?'istian. 

Since the above was written, we find an epitome of 
the Bible view of angels in a sermon by Rev. Alfred 
Graham, D.D., in his pulpit, in Philadelphia ; and which 
was well reported in a condensed form in the Inquirer, 
under date of Sept. 26, 1887. We give a reprint of 
the report, beginning at the fourth paragraph, where 
Dr. Graham says : 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 231 

The existence of a class of beings called angels all, I suppose, 
are ready to admit. I do not stop to prove their existence. 
They are often mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. As to the 
nature of these beings, they are evidently spiritual intelligences, 
but not bodiless phantoms. They are not the imaginary death- 
less spirits of departed saints. Angels were in existence before 
any human being died. They shouted for joy when the founda- 
tions of the earth were laid. They are spirits, but are not im- 
material. They have a form and size, and, though unseen by 
human eyes, they come and go as substantial, material individ- 
ualities. Immateriality is nothingness. 

The spiritualistic philosophy of the times prevents a proper 
understanding of the nature of angels as it does of the nature 
of man. It teaches that angels are bodiless men, women, and 
children. God deals always with realities, never with phan- 
toms. Let men be taught the great truth that all men are mor- 
tal and that the dead rest in peace till the resurrection and 
undergo no transformation into angels. The doctrine of the 
natural immortality of the soul paves the way for many errone- 
ous positions. 

The angels as to character are pure and holy and spotless. 
They were undoubtedly once on probation, as we are, for some 
kept not their first estate, but were cast down to Tartarus under 
thick darkness for the judgment of the great day. 

There are various orders — archangels, seraphim, cherubim, 
&c. Ancients thought there were nine orders, others eight, 
others four. 

Their employment is to serve God — to do the bidding of Jeho- 
vah. One vast glorious assembly — a happy family. 

The place of their worship is Heaven. Heaven is not merely 
a state ; it is also a place. It is the home of God. None are 
there save God, Jesus — the Saviour, and angels. This earth is, 
in God's appointed time, to be made the eternal, holy, happy 
home of the pure in heart, for the meek shall inherit the earth. 
This is yet future. It has been for ages the subject of prophecy 
and song. 

The worship and service of angels is connected with the re- 
demptive work of God through Christ in many ways. They 
sang for joy at the birth of this earth ; they have been messen- 
gers of patriarchs and prophets ; they announced the birth of 
Jesus ; they sang on Bethlehem's plains ; they hailed His resur- 
rection ; they escorted Him to glory ; they will accompany Him 
again to this earth by and by, and will unite with the lofty 
acclamations of resurrected, glorified man. 

Angels rejoice in the conversion of sinners. And, more than 



232 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

this, angels accompany us everywhere, and they silently keep 
vigil over the graves, which dot this earth of ours over its entire 
surface, and wait patiently at the resting place of loved ones until 
the trump of God shall sound, and the sleeping dead arise in 
eternal vigor and immortal bloom. 

The above short discourse on angels is, perhaps, for 
clearness in expression of correct Theology seldom 
equalled, while its pathetic eloquence makes it enjoy- 
able by all, and instructive to many Christians. 

After studying the subject much, we conclude that 
Inordinate ambition of angels to rule in all of their work 
and worship was the cause of the rupture or breaking 
up of the family, or, as Dr. Graham has said, " the home 
of God." And it is a painful fact that many earthly 
families are " broken up " in the same way on each and 
every day that is noted in Time's great calendar. But 
this is th'e sifting of society — the trial of character. 
The wretch and his wretchedness will pass through the 
sieve, in time; but that which remains — the good — shall 
shine forth as the stars, in eternity. Then, Alleluiahs 
will be neither few nor tiresome ! 

FALLEN ANGELS or DEMONS 

are those who sinned — 2 Peter 2 : 4 — and thus became 
evil, and they are ever opposing such a state of things 
as the Gospel requires. They seek man's destruction, 
as they know that their own will surely come. Con- 
cerning this class of angels, we make the following notes 
and points : 

1. We have already shown that angels were created 
before man was made, and find they were included in 
Gen. 1 : 31 with created things which God Himself 
called "very good." Those angels who remained 
" good," thus succeeding their trial of character, became 
" holy," and are so called, in the Bible. Their abiding 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 233 

place is in heaven (Matt. 22 : 30), though they are often 
sent to earth on errands of love and mercy. But many 
of them did not succeed in their trial, or probation, be- 
cause they became evil by their disobedience, and were 
banished from Heaven. 

2. These evil, or fallen, angels are nowhere in 
Scripture said to be human spirits, or immortal spirits 
or souls ; but they often lead, or control persons who 
are weak in mind or those who are willing captives, to 
disobey in act or expression the best precepts and laws 
which are known to man. This will be clearly seen 
further on. Doubtless, that arrogancy which is the off- 
spring of pride was the cause of their ignoble fall from 
their high moral and social position to the confines of 
Earth's surroundings, which is their abiding place and 
field of action until they are destroyed. See Matt. 25 : 
41, Heb. 2 : 14. 

For proof of our position, we quote verse 6, of the 
Epistle of Jude : 

" And the Angels which kept not their first estate, 
but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in ever- 
lasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the 
great day." 

The marginal reading shows that " estate " means 
" principality," or the territory of a prince, called in the 
text " their own habitation." It would nearly stagger 
the human mind to comprehend such a position, such 
a chance. Good themselves, glories all around, the 
best society in the universe, immortality to gain simply 
by obedience, when they would become co-existent 
while they were co-workers with Him who made them, 
and their surroundings as well ! 

But we opine this was too much prosperity for angels 
to endure when they indulged an inordinate desire to 
rule — that pride which " goeth before a fall." Prov. 
16 : 18. We have often noticed people who could bear 



234 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

adversity a year, when they could not bear prosperity 
for one month ; and there are 100,000 persons in the 
United States who will not on next Saturday night bear 
up under the prosperity of receiving good pay lor their 
services, by making good use of it, but will proceed at 
once to commit some immorality which they would 
not have done with a much less salary ! 

The seventh verse of the Epistle which we quoted 
shows the certainty and the completeness of the de- 
struction which awaits those evil angels, or demons, as 
a finality, but we pass it for the present, and will notice 
it again. 

Honest Skeptic thinks our quotation does not clearly 
prove that the angels sinned, which would prove that 
they were placed on probation, so we quote Peter's sec- 
ond Epistle, and second Chapter, where he declares that 
" God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them 
down to hell, and delivered them into chains of dark- 
ness, to be reserved unto judgment? 

Here it is plainly stated that angels " sinned," thus 
proving that they were placed on trial, or probation, 
inasmuch as they were " cast down " to await judgment 
and death, while others who did not sin were retained 
and very properly called holy angels, they having been 
fully proved by their trial. 

3. The text says the angels that sinned were "cast 
down to hell." The word, tartarus, here rendered, or 
translated " hell,'' does not occur elsewhere in the Bible ; 
and if our skeptical readers will be kind enough to 
themselves to consult Greek authorities, they will find 
that " tartarus " signifies the verge of the material uni- 
verse, and answers to our atmosphere, or " thick air " 
which surrounds the earth as a shroud, or case, like the 
skin of an orange. It is supposed to be about forty 
miles in thickness, or height, from the surface of the 
earth, and is dense enough to exert a pressure of fifteen 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 235 

pounds to each square inch ; but it presses on all sides 
of things equally, so that we can move around in it 
easily. 

The average consistency and density of the air we 
breathe is such that celestial light, or even lightning, 
would have the effect to make the average of day, 
night and clouds relatively dark, or " darkness " as 
stated in both of our quotations. Now it becomes clear 
that evil spirits, evil angels, or demons, though usually 
unseen, inhabit the air which surrounds the earth, 
and in which we live ; and that they are not human 
spirits of the past, nor of the present, for reasons al- 
ready given. 

4. We call attention to the fact that the foregoing 
Scriptural view of evil angels not only does not conflict 
with human experience and observation, but does agree 
with very much of it, while it is not condemned by 
common sense. 

5. Those evil angels, though banished from heaven 
by God, like the thieves who were banished from the 
Temple by His Son, still retained their natural abilities 
and power, as well as their character. They are angels 
still ; but always bear in mind, there are two very im- 
portant points of difference between evil angels and 
holy angels, aside from character, viz. : 

First, Having broken connection with the great 
Source of wisdom and power, they can only use their 
natural angelic powers, as such, because they cannot ob- 
tain Almighty power to assist them in their designs. 

Second, The powers which they do possess can be, 
and often are, modified or held entirely at bay by holy 
angels, whose presence with man means not only wise 
direction, but also a measure of protection by Almighty 
power, which they, as " angels of the Lord," may and 
do receive by His word, and exert at His will. 

[Once more we see how utterly impossible it is for 



236 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

evil men, or indeed for the entire phalanx of evil angels 
to stop us, or our work, if we are in the path of duty, 
until our work is done !] 

Christian reader, the Two points above given, which 
suggested a repetition of the foregoing remark, are, we 
believe, important facts, and will help you not only to 
understand this subject as now presented, but will help 

YOU TO UNDERSTAND MUCH OF YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE, and 

also that of others in whom you may be interested. All 
should be familiar with them who study the subject. 

6. According to Scripture, and not inconsistent with 
known facts and common sense, we conclude that evil 
angels have a leader, or chief angel, as do the holy an- 
gels. This fact is clearly seen in such expressions as 
" the Devil and his angels," " the Dragon and his an- 
gels," found in Matt. 25 : 41, Rev. 12 : 7, and other 
texts. 

For the benefit of common readers we will here and 
now say of the Book of Revelation, 

First, Much of it is highly symbolic. 

Second, It is not all symbolic, therefore, 

Third, Certain parts are literal. 

Fourth, The parts which were intended to be under- 
stood as literal, do not conflict with other Scriptural 
facts or teachings, nor do violence to common sense. 
In quoting from the Book, we have been and shall be 
guided by these facts in the best of our judgment. 

Turning now to Rev. 12 : 9, we find the great leader 
of the angelic rebellion identified by the account of his 
having been cast out of Heaven, and the statement that 
" his angels were cast out with him into the earth." 
The Douay version reads, unto the earth ; Sawyer's 
Translation reads, to the earth, and the Revised ver- 
sion reads, down to the earth. And it is further said 
of him that he "deceiveth the whole world," which 
makes his identification complete, and shows that he, 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 237 

with " his angels," abide in our air, or atmosphere ; 
hence, he is called ,c The Prince of the Power of the 
Air," as in Eph. 2 : 2. 

Moreover, the text gives his name with Two or Three 
characteristic aliases, thus : " The great Dragon, that 
Old Serpent, called the Devil, and Satan," which 
means enemy, and accuser; while none will accept 
" Serpent," and " Dragon," as desirable titles. He is, 
doubtless, called "that Old Serpent," because the won- 
derful manifestation in Eden which deceived " the 
woman," was made by the Serpent, who was mouth- 
piece in speech, proxy in person, and medium, in fact, 
for Satan. 

The term " Dragon," if fairly considered, would ra- 
diate ideas, and suggest facts enough to fill a large 
book if they were reduced to words ; but it is not so 
nearly associated with our subject as " Serpent," which 
we have well noticed, nor have we time or space for it. 
So, too, with numerous other terms and titles which 
are applied to the Devil in the Bible. 

7. Although we have in a brief space made our po- 
sition plain, as we think, touching the existence, local- 
ity, character, power and object of Satan, we shall be 
— as we have often been — confronted with the homely 
assertion, " There ain't no devil, anyway." This calls 
to mind a repartee which we saw in print more than 
forty years ago, and we have never seen it repeated. 
It was said that a green-looking fellow entered a grist- 
mill to have some corn ground. While it was grind- 
ing the miller thought to quiz the young man, and 
said : " John, they say the Devil's dead ! " "Is he f " 
said he. " Who tends mill, then f " 

Now, if there is no Devil, we desire to know who 
will u tend " the great number of fatherless children 
who meet in our Police Courts, and a greater number 
who do not f Half in doubt, Candid Reader answers : 



238 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

" Our Jailors and Prison Wardens will tend them." 
True, in part, Candid — the first part — but what about 
the last part, or class, that we brought to view ? Do 
not be deceived ; Satan is doing a greater work than 
ever before ! 

8. In sight, and in the light of our last assertion, it 
will seem awkward to state that the Devil delights to 
have people believe and teach that there is no Devil ; 
yet we cannot doubt the truth of the assertion. The 
theory is this : if there be no Devil to tempt, there is 
no temptation ; if no temptation, then no sin, neither 
will there be a judgment appointed which might im- 
pose punishment; hence no moral responsibility. 

This philosophy is a kind of bridge which many 
persons carry with them, intending, when they ap- 
proach the yawning chasm and hear the waters roar, 
to rest one end of it upon the bank (this life) which is 
a reality as long as it is used, and then to throw the 
other end upon the opposite bank, which, as seen, by 
their " guides " is labelled "Immortality." Friends ! 
Do not attempt to use your Pretty, Portable, Philo- 
sophical Bridge ; it was invented by Satan — see Gen. 
3 : 4 — and it has launched many of your friends in the 
raging billows of Jordan ; but try the Old-Time struc- 
ture IT NEVER FAILS ! 

9. Honest Skeptic improves this opportunity by ask- 
ing, " Why did God make a devil, anyway ? " We 
answer, God did not make a devil, although He made 
the Devil. "How can this be?" cries Honest. It is 
thus : God made the Devil, as a being, an angel, but he 
was not a devil, for a devil is bad, whereas this being 
was " very good." His history, however, shows that 
as a matter of choice he became wicked, and being an 
angel still, despite his fall, he thus virtually made him- 
self a devil ; and being a leader, first, or chief, in defy- 



INTRODUCTION TO PHENOMENA. 239 

ing Divine law, he was " called the Devil and Satan." 
Rev. 12 : 9. 

10. " What was Satan's act of disobedience by which 
he ' virtually made himself a devil/ or the Devil ? " 
This is Candid Reader's question, on noting the last 
paragraph. We will say that details are not given in 
the Bible, but so much as is given, together with per- 
sonal experience and close observation, warrants our 
belief that pride was the first digression from the line 
of angelic duties and privileges, for pride is sin. See 
Rev. 21 : 8. Pride is that degree of satisfaction with 
ourselves and our surroundings that inflates self esteem, 
encourages tyranny, and crushes charity. Satisfac- 
tion, and enjoyment that does not do this, but is 
bounded by charity and modesty, is not pride in a 
Scriptural sense. Paul's language to Timothy, in 1 
Timothy 3 : 6, when stating the requisite qualities 
of Bishops, says: "Not a novice (one newly come to 
the faith), lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into 
the condemnation of the devil." We think this is 
very plain. 

11. We close this series of paragraph points, and in- 
deed the Topic also, by quoting from Job 1:6, 7 : 
" Now there was a day when the sons of God came to 
present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came 
also among them. 

" And the Lord said unto Satan, ' Whence comest 
thou ? ' Then Satan answered the Lord, and said : 
' From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking 
up and down in it.' " 

Evidently there was a meeting of holy angels outside 
of heaven, and inside of Satan's bounds, as he found it 
possible to meet with them. But Satan's answer is our 
objective point. It is quite abstract, as he said nothing 
about his eviction from heaven, his former residence ; 
but what he did say, agrees perfectly with the evi- 



240 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

dence we have presented, viz. : that he and his angels, 
or demons, "go to and fro" in the same air in 
which we live, and which encircles the earth at all 
times. 



FIFTH TOPIC. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 

It is admitted by all persons having considerable 
knowledge of Spiritualism, that its phenomena form the 
life of the system ; indeed, if it had been " all human 
humbug," its existence would have been too short to 
span the dates of two almanacs ! Many, supposing it 
had become lifeless, have been astonished when assured 
that it was not only alive, but " able to be out." We 
have been asked many times, " Do you think there is 
anything in it ? " There is much in it, we said, but it is 
generally misunderstood with regard to its directing 
power, and its object as well. We shall try to make it 
plain to candid seekers of light on the subject. 

An effort has been made to familiarize our readers 
with those facts and theories which are closely related 
to this Topic, in order to assist them to readily under- 
stand the philosophy of the phenomena, as we present 
it. Among them is the fact that the terms " evil an- 
gels," " evil spirits," " devils," and " demons," are, in 
their modern meaning, synonymous, or interchange- 
able terms ; and that such beings possess superhuman 
knowledge and power : this means more than human, 
but not so much as Almighty knowledge and power. 

Now we can see how it is that evil is limited ; how 
that a restraint is often placed upon evil-doers — angels, 

16 (241) 



242 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

as well as men. But for this limit to moral evil, the 
entire world would have been depopulated long before 
this, in a single day's time ; for the destruction of man 
is the object of evil angels at all times. 

We understand that these angels control certain per- 
sons who are known as mediums, by magnetism, or 
psychic force ; or more simply stated, by influence — a 
controlling power, silent and unseen, like the influence 
of the magnet upon steel. This latter force, however, 
being confined to minerals, is earthly in its nature, 
hence it is called terrestrial magnetism. We would 
name it ferra-magnetism. As attraction, it is polaric, 
directing the ends of the object, or needle, toward the 
poles, while gravitation is centripetal, directing the en- 
tire object toward the centre of the earth. This is 
physical — not metaphysical or spiritual — therefore, 
man is not accountable for any part of its operations, 
per se. 

But that magnetism which emanates from man, by 
which he controls or modifies the actions or physical 
conditions of others, becomes a moral consideration as 
well as an important power for good or evil, according 
to the manner and extent of its use, and for which the 
operator is morally responsible. This occult force in 
man was discovered in 1766, by Friedrich Anton Mes- 
mer, and after him has generally been known as " Mes- 
merism," but this term is not of itself intelligible to 
the average reader, not even suggestive, as Mesmer did 
not invent the force, but simply discovered it as a pe- 
culiar mind-force, or magnetism. True, this power, 
or influence, suitable to their species, pertains to the en- 
tire animal kingdom, more or less, but it belongs as a 
system, or practical theory, to man, rather than to ani- 
mals, and for the use or abuse of it he is ever responsi- 
ble ; therefore, its name should suggest which kind of 
magnetism is meant by the term applied to it ; hence, 



ITS PHENOMENA. 243 

we call it Homo- Magnetism, or, simply, Human Mag- 
netism. 

" Spirits ? themselves (as claimed) admit that the 
operation of controlling mediums is the same as that 
of Mesmerism, or Human Magnetism ; and though it is 
claimed that these " spirits " are " disembodied," we 
have proved them to be demons, or evil angels who 
magnetize mediums and thus control them to do and 
say good or bad things as suits them and the occasion 
best. Now, this system, or practical theory, should 
also have a name that will readily suggest the kind of 
magnetism employed in this, the phenomenal part of 
Modern Spiritualism ; hence we abbreviate demoniaque, 
and call the system Z^e/no-Magnetism, or, simply, Demon 
Magnetism. 

Hypnotism is a name given by Dr. Braid, of Man- 
chester, to a peculiar condition of mind and body, and 
was discovered by him. It is closely allied to "Animal 
Magnetism," and is much the same. [See Hypnotism, 
in Zell's Ency.] 

The Two systems, Human Magnetism and Demon 
Magnetism, are directed by psychic force, or will power, 
therefore they are similar in operation. In either case 
the weaker mind is governed by the stronger, which 
may effect good or evil upon the passive subject, or 
person. Let us take a practical view of this important 
question — we might say triple question, for it embraces 
principle, action, and results of the policy pursued, both 
by human and demon magnetizers. 

Some persons, though possessing less magnetic power, 
or controlling influence, than evil angels, or demons, 
certainly have more than many other persons do, and 
hence may, under favorable conditions, control them, 
while young persons are quite susceptible to magnetic 
influence. Such subjects, if under full control, are as 
completely possessed or controlled by the person who 



244 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

is the operator, or magnetiser, as are other persons when 
under control of demons. 

The proper object of magnetic control is, either to 
produce phenomena in the interest of mental science 
and to enjoy a psychological treat, merely, or, as a 
healing process which has in many cases resulted in 
wonderful cures; and this, too, without medicine, 
poisonous or otherwise ! Is this not good ? Everybody 
says " Yes," especially those who have been cured. 

But here another tact stares us in the face. Within 
hearing distance — aye, less than that — lurks a sly, 
persistent, impulsive enemy, whose soft footsteps will 
be heard by none, save only the most vigilant watcher, 
whose sense of moral hearing is acute. He follows the 
successful magnetizer whose morals are only moder- 
ately fixed, but who has suddenly and effectually cured 
scores of people. Now, while enjoying success, and 
long before he has disposed of his list of doing-good- 
possibilities, among the sons and daughters of men, he 
will find himself confronted by the sly, soft-footed enemy , 
Licentiousness, who will remind him that although he 
has " controlled " many others he has failed to control 
himself; and that some of his fair patients, though 
cured, physically, were made ill, morally ! Disaster 
has come to him, only to be repeated until his overdoing 
doing good, physically, will, through lack of staunch 
morals, result in moral evil, and perhaps, his " everlast- 
ing destruction." (Not everlasting misery.) 

Moral : Do not allow any irresponsible person to 
magnetize you under any circumstances ; and if proper 
parties are allowed to do so, be sure to require the 
presence of a third person. 

Our note of explanation and Moral will forcibly 
remind many persons of facts in their experience which 
prove that the idea of overdoing doing good, is not 
mythical. But do the Scriptures not teach us to " do 



ITS PHENOMENA. 245 

good as we have opportunity ? " They do. "And is it 
not doing good to cure the physical ills of life if an 
opportunity occurs ? " It is. " Then shall we not do 
it ? ,; Here, both the Civil and Divine laws prevent a 
direct answer by forcing a condition ; that is, propriety 
— if it be proper. 

There is suffering every day which might be relieved 
at once without risk of taking life, at present, but it 
would jeopardize it in future ; hence not proper. Pain 
may be stopped at the expense of worse suffering in the 
future ; therefore, not proper. So, too, many ills may 
be radically cured, in ways and at times which would 
jeopardize reputation or character, or indeed both; 
this, also, would be improper. 

Now it is asked, " What is magnetism ? " It is the 
attractive and repulsive power of the loadstone, and 
though it is a mineral, it will not attract all minerals, 
but finds its affinities in iron, steel and cobalt. 

The attractive power of this mineral is, apparently, 
an influence which is exerted under favorable conditions 
upon the substances, or affinities above named. So, 
Human Magnetism is, apparently, influence exerted 
by one mind — the result of an active brain — upon 
another mind which is so passive in its condition, and so 
receptive in its nature, as to be at once controlled by 
it. Such minds, or persons, are called " subjects," or 
" affinities." This kind of magnetism differs from the 
first named, in that it may make conditions favorable 
for the introduction of a third kind, which we have 
called, by way of easy distinction, Demon Magnetism. 

The following case is an example : 

A lady in Philadelphia, an invalid, sat many times 
for magnetic treatment by a friend of ours, and was 
nearly cured of her maladies, when one day during a 
sitting she suddenly assumed the condition of clairvoy- 
ance, thus leaving her magnetizer powerless ! The 



246 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

sequel showed that where human magnetism ended, 
demon magnetism began, and proved that human 
extremity may be an evil angel's opportunity, for gross 
immorality resulted in this case. It also proves different 
directing agency in the Two Systems, and that Human 
Magnetism is, or may be, a stepping-stone to Demon 
Magnetism, or the phenomenal feature of Modern 
Spiritualism. 

Human Magnetism may be defined as the power of 
one mind to influence another mind to the extent of 
controlling it ; as if the brain were a battery, sending 
its power — controlling influence, or mind — as a positive 
to another mind that is negative or passive enough to 
receive it as an impression. In such cases the first 
mind brings the second one into sympathy, or rapport 
with itsplf; hence, the second mind reproduces the 
thoughts and sensations which were evolved by the 
first one, whether of sight, taste, feeling or touch ; and 
the person so impressed, can, by expression, writing or 
other signs, communicate it at once to others. This is 
the extent of human mind power in this direction. It 
was this peculiar faculty of mind that was discovered 
by Mesmer. 

Now, j ust as it is necessary for a person to be passive, 
in order to be subject to a human magnetizer's will or 
control, with a view to success, either curatively or 
otherwise, so it is necessary for a person to be subject 
to a demon magnetizer, in order to produce greater 
effects— such as we call superhuman, because science 
and natural philosophy do not account for their charac- 
ter and presentation. By this we mean " Spiritual 
Phenomena," so called. 

This brings Radical Ghostman to his feet, and he 
exclaims, "Our mediums don't subject themselves to 
demons any way / " We are glad they do not — mean 
to do so, Radical, but we are here to show that they do 



ITS PHENOMENA. 247 

it, nevertheless, being deceived by demons. Let us 
view the subject carefully and practically. 

By the term superhuman, as applied to phenomena, 
we mean that which human magnetism does not pro- 
duce, and also that which Professors of legerdemain 
fail to produce in the practice of their art — indeed we 
mean all of the wonderful phenomena which we shall 
soon notice and admit as actual occurrences, although 
not directed by " human spirits," for we have shown 
the last idea to be a myth — not Truth. 

But we said it is necessary that mediums should be 
willing " subjects " to their controlling powers, whether 
human or demoniacal, and Honest Skeptic, who is ever 
ready to moot a moral or a metaphysical point, wishes 
to know why we say this, after admitting that demons 
have both more knowledge and power than men, which, 
if exercised, would control every person as well ? Our 
keen-eyed skeptical friend did well to ask this very im- 
portant question. We will ask a few questions to in- 
tensify his, and then make one answer reply to all. 

Why are all persons not subject to human magnet- 
ism ? Why are all persons not subject to demon mag- 
netism? Why are all persons not very good ? Why 
are all persons not very bad ? One single fact in God's 
economy, and which is a check to Satan's complete suc- 
cess, will answer each of the above questions more or 
less fully. It is this : Man enjoys the right, or privi- 
lege of " free choice " in moral things, and there are 
not demons enough anywhere, to wrest that key to 
eternal life from him ! If he becomes dispossessed of 
it, it is because he chooses to give it away to the 
demons. 

True, free moral choice involves responsibility, and 
this becomes the parent of many doubts, in many cases ; 
but even doubts are enough to keep many persons out 
of active service; so that between clear conviction and 



248 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

many doubts, even demons cannot force all persons into 
service as mediums ; but they may and do " entice " 
many, and thus they become " servants to whom they 
yield themselves servants to obey; whether of sin 
unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness." Rom. 
6: 16. 

In place of the term, Free Choice, which we have 
here used, many writers would have said " free moral 
agency" which is radically wrong in expression, because 
man chooses for himself as a factor, and not for another, 
as an agent. He chooses, and acts for himself, alone. 
For this correction by modification of expression, we 
are indebted to a discourse by the Rev. Alfred Graham, 
D. D., who has our thanks ; and let all teachers of 
Theology say Amen. 

Returning to our main thought in this connection — 
the controlling, or directing power in Human Magnet- 
ism and Demon Magnetism, we offer the following testi- 
mony of a " spirit," being an answer to a question, as 
published in the Spiritual Age, April 3, 1858 : 

Ques. What, then, is the distinction between Mesmerism and 
Spiritualism ? 

Ans. Mesmerism [Human Magnetism, Author] is something 
which a man does while he has his clothes on ; Spiritualism is 
a similar act of his after his clothes have been put off. Suppose 
I magnetize, or mesmerize, you to-day, and that I, the Mes- 
merizer, speak, write and act through you, you being uncon- 
scious; this is Mesmerism. Suppose, further, that I die to-night, 
and that to-morrow, I, a " spirit," come and magnetize you, and 
then speak, write and act through you: this is Spiritualism. 
[Capitals are ours. Substitute evil angel, or demon for "spirit," 
and the entire statement would be correct. — Author.] 

Andrew Jackson Davis edited a Spiritualist paper in 
New York City called the Herald of Progress, in 1860. 
In its issue of Oct. 27, he said : 

It is known that a wise and strong-minded person in the 



ITS PHENOMENA. 249 

spirit-world has the power to make visible to the eyes of mortals 
the exact appearance or semblance of the body it wore before 
death. This representation is elaborated sometimes to the 
minutest particular, even to the reproduction of the appearance 
of the habiliments, etc., by which the person was characterized 
and identified while a resident of the earth." 

Later, in the Herald of Progress, Feb. 1, 1862, he 
said : 

All intelligent spirits are great artists. They can psychol- 
ogize a medium to see them, and to describe them in the style 
which would produce the deepest impression on the receiver. 

If the reader will substitute demons, or evil angels for 
"spirits" in the foregoing quotations, he will get a 
clear view of the similarity of operation of the Two 
Systems, and also of the difference between the agency, 
or directing power. Do not fail to note this very 
important remark. We think it very clear that human 
magnetism is the operation of one human mind upon 
another human mind, while demon magnetism is the 
operation of one demon mind upon a human mind. In 
practice, this psychological power produces a variety of 
manifestations, or phenomena, through its media, or 
mediums. 

We shall notice, more or less, the following named 
phases, or kinds of mediumship which are claimed as 
Spiritual Phenomena : 

Rapping. Clairvoyant. Etherealizing. Clairaudient. 

Tipping. Inspirational. Photographic. Trance. 

Direct writing. Musical. Telegraphic. Picture and 

Independent Singing. Haunting. Flower. 

slate- writing. Impressional. Talking. Fire. 

Writing in air. Materializing. Healing. Destroying. 

The last in the list is not the least ; it is the most 
important, as it is the most dreadful, and is our addition 
to it. 



250 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Before taking up the different phases of mediumship, 
it may be well to introduce an excerpt from " Questions 
and Answers," at a seance given by W. J. Colville, and 
reported in the Banner of Light, Nov. 7, 1885. It 
will freshen the memory with the nature and impor- 
tance of "spirit control" as seen by the "spirit" itself 
— as claimed. It is as follows : 

Q. Could you control your medium, and hold his body in 
spite of him, if he, in the spirit, made an effort to get back ? 

A. He never makes an effort to get back. We have no 
difficulty in holding control ; he is always perfectly willing we 
should control him when we do. If he expressed desire to 
return, and should ask us to allow him to do so, if we had any 
special communication to give, we should inform him that we 
had not done using his organism. He would then be willing 
we should keep it; whereas, if we did not specially require it, 
we should allow him to return. There is such perfect harmony 
between this medium and his guides that there is no conflict, 
there is no violence required. Our medium is quite willing to 
yield to his guides ; he has perfect confidence in them, believing 
that they know what is best, and that they have ever guided 
him aright. 

Q. What I wish to get at is, whether you can hold his body 
against his will ? 

A. Of course, we have plenty of power to hold it, if we 
please. Our band of twelve guides have far more than sufficient 
power to control his will. If we chose to do so, we have 
plenty of power to remove him to spirit-life. If I found it 
necessary to control a medium for a fortnight or three weeks at 
a time, I could retain possession of his organism, and allow 
him to be elsewhere. I could do all the work the medium has 
to do, through him. I could so act through his organism that 
no one need know he was under control. 

On this, we note several points : 1. The first ques- 
tion is not clear to many minds. " If he," as a living 
man should attempt to break away from the influence, 
or control — is the obvious meaning of the language 
used. 2. Determined control on the part of the guide. 
3. Entire passivity, or willingness, of the medium. 4. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 251 

Twelve guides. 5. Their claim of power to control 
him for weeks, or even "to remove him to spirit-life!" 
u What does this mean," asks Candid, " that he will 
kill him ? " No, Candid Reader, it does not ; it is 
demon dialect, which, when understood, means, that 
HE CAN MAKE HIM KILL HIMSELF ! ! 

In view of our Introduction — the Fourth Topic — it 
is hardly necessary to say that we understand the 
" twelve guides " to be evil angels, or demons, who 
would have us believe they are our "spirit-friends," 
and hence use their superior knowledge and memory 
of events to enable them to palm themselves upon us 
as such, for reasons already given. To make the theory 
plausible they talk about a " band of twelve " guides, 
or spirits, being able to " remove to spirit-life " (or kill), 
one human being, whereas we have shown by the Bible 
— the source of angel history — that one angel with de- 
stroying powers killed many Thousands ! True, he w T as 
under orders from heaven, while demons are under 
their leader, Satan, whose power, though limited, is far 
greater than that of man or of mythical "spirits." 
Thinking our position familiar to our readers, we will 
now use the theory in explanation of phenomena, and 
notice, first : 

"RAPPING" MEDIUMSHIP. 

Rapping mediumship is not only one of the leading 
phases, or kinds of phenomena, but it has also the dis- 
tinction of being the first form of phenomena under 
which Modern Spiritualism manifested itself; therefore, 
we place it first on the list, and may consider it at some 
length, comparatively. There are many persons who 
would like to know, briefly, the exact circumstances of 
the very beginning of the strange phenomena, as well 
as the operating force, and its character. 

We have a copy of " Footfalls on the Boundary of 



252 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Another World," by Robert Dale Owen, formerly Mem- 
ber of Congress, and also American Minister to Naples. 
On p. 284 of the book above named, Mr. Owen be- 
gins a highly interesting account of " rappings " known 
as the " Rochester Knockings," which occurred in 
Hydesville. We quote so much of it as is pertinent 
to our subject and object, and give it verbatim. Mr. 
Owen states on p. 290, that he had the particulars 
from Mrs. Fox, her daughters Margaret and Kate, 
and her son David — thus making the narrative reliable 
as well as very readable. Moreover, the certificates of 
Mr. and Mrs. Fox in u Report of Mysterious Noises," 
pp. 9 and 10, which is before us, are substantially the 
same in detail. 
Mr. Owens says : 

There stands, not far from the town of Newark, in the county 
of Wayne, and State of New York, a wooden dwelling — one of 
a cluster of small houses like itself, scarcely meriting the title 
of a village, but known under the name of Hydesville, being so 
called after Dr. Hyde, an old settler, whose son is the proprietor 
of the house in question. It is a story-and-a-half high, fronting 
south ; the lower floor consisting, in 1848, of two moderate- 
sized rooms, opening into each other; east of these a bed-room, 
opening into the sitting-room, and a buttery, opening into the 
same room, together with a stairway (between the bed-room and 
the buttery), leading from the sitting-room up to the half-story 
above, and from the buttery down to the cellar. 

This humble dwelling had been selected as a temporary resi- 
dence, during the erection of another house in the country, by 
Mr. John D. Fox. 

The Fox family were reputable farmers, members of the 
Methodist church, in good standing, and much respected by 
their neighbors as honest, upright people. Mr. and Mrs. Fox 
had six children, of whom the two youngest were staying with 
them, when on the Eleventh of December, 1847, they removed 
into the house I have described. The children were both girls 
— Margaret, then twelve years old, and Kate, nine. 

Soon after they had taken up their residence in the dwelling 
referred to, they began to think it was a very noisy house; but 
this was attributed to rats and mice. During the next month, 



ITS PHENOMENA. 253 

however (January, 1848), the noise began to assume the charac- 
ter of slight knockings heard at night in the bed-room ; some- 
times appearing to sound from the cellar beneath. At first Mrs. 
Fox sought to persuade herself this might be but the hammer- 
ing of a shoemaker, in a house hard by, sitting up late at work. 
But further observation showed the sounds, whencesoever pro- 
ceeding, originated in the house. For not only did the knock- 
ings gradually become more distinct, and not only were they 
heard first in one part of the house, then in another, but the 
family finally remarked that the raps, even when not very loud, 
often caused a motion, tremulous rather than a sudden jar, of 
the bedsteads and chairs — sometimes of the floor; a motion 
which was quite perceptible to the touch when a hand was laid 
on the chairs, which was sometimes sensibly felt at night in the 
slightly oscillating motion of the bed, and which was occasion- 
ally perceived as a sort of vibration even when standing on the 
floor. 

After a time, also, the noises varied in their character, sound- 
ing occasionally like distinct footfalls in the different rooms. 

Nor were the disturbances, after a month or two had passed, 
confined to sounds. Once, something heavy, as if a dog, seemed 
to lie on the feet of the children ; but it was gone before the 
mother could come to their aid. Another time (this was late in 
March) Kate felt as if a cold hand was on her face. Occasion- 
ally, too, the bed clothes were pulled during the night. Finally 
chairs were moved from their places. So, on one occasion, was 
the dining-table. 

The disturbances, which had been limited to occasional 
knockings throughout February and the early part of March, 
gradually increased toward the close of the latter month, in 
loudness and frequency, so seriously as to break the rest of the 
family. Mr. Fox and his wife got up night after night, lit a 
candle, and thoroughly searched every nook and corner of the. 
house; but without any result. They discovered nothing. 
When the raps came on a door, Mr. Fox would stand ready to 
open the moment they were repeated. But this expedient, too, 
proved unavailing. Though he opened the door on the instant 
there was no one to be seen. Nor did he or Mrs. Fox ever ob- 
tain the slightest clew to the cause of these disturbances. 

The only circumstance which seemed to suggest the possibil- 
ity of trickery or of mistake, was that these various unexplained 
occurrences never happened in daylight. 

And thus, notwithstanding the strangeness of the thing, when 
morning came they began to think it must have been but the 
fancy of the night. Not being given to superstition, they clung 



254 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

throughout several weeks of annoyance, to the idea that some 
natural explanation of the seeming accidents would at last ap- 
pear. Nor did they abandon this hope till the night of Friday, 
the 31st of March, 1848. 

The day had been cold and stormy, with snow on the ground. 
In the course of the afternoon, a son, David, came to visit them 
from his farm, about Three miles distant. His mother then re- 
counted to him the particulars of the annoyances they had en- 
dured ; for until now they had been little disposed to commu- 
nicate them to any one. He heard her with a smile. " Well, 
mother," he said, " I advise you not to say a word to the neigh- 
bors about it. When you find it out, it will be one of the sim- 
plest things in the world." And in that belief he returned 
home. Wearied by a succession of sleepless nights and of 
fruitless attempts to penetrate the mystery, the Fox family 
retired on that Friday evening very early to rest, hoping for a 
respite from the disturbances that harassed them. But they 
were doomed to disappointment. 

The parents had removed the children's beds into their bed- 
room, an(J strictly enjoined them not to talk of noises, even if 
they heard them. But scarcely had the mother seen them 
safely in bed, and was retiring to rest herself, when the children 
cried out, " Here they are again ! " The mother chided them, 
and laid down. Thereupon the noises became louder and more 
startling. The children sat up in bed. Mrs. Fox called her 
husband. The night being windy, it was suggested to him that 
it might be the rattling of the sashes. He tried several, shaking 
them to see if they were loose. Kate, the youngest girl, hap- 
pened to remark that as often as her father shook a window 
sash, the noises seemed to reply. Being a lively child, and in 
a measure accustomed to what was going on, she turned to 
where the noise was, snapped her fingers, and called out, 
" Here, old Splitfoot, do as I do ! " The knocking instantly re- 
sponded. 

That was the very commencement. Who can tell where the 
end will be? 

I do not mean that it was Kate Fox who thus half in child- 
ish jest first discovered that these mysterious sounds seemed in- 
stinct with intelligence. Mr. Mompesson, Two Hundred years 
ago, had already observed a similar phenomenon. Glanvil had 
verified it. So had Wesley and his children. So, we have 
seen, and others. But in all these cases the matter rested 
there, and the observation was not prosecuted further. As, 
previous to the invention of the steam-engine, sundry observers 
had trodden the very threshold of the discovery and there 



ITS PHENOMENA. 255 

stopped, so, in this case, where the Royal Chaplain, disciple 
though he was of the inductive philosophy, and where the 
founder of Methodism, admitting as he did, the probabilities of 
ultramundane interference, were both at fault, a Yankee girl, 
but Nine years old, following up, more in sport than earnest, a 
chance observation, became the instigator of a movement which, 
whatever its true character, has had its influence throughout 
the civilized world* The spark had been ignited — once at least 
Two centuries ago; but it had died each time without effect. 
It kindled no flame until the middle of the Nineteenth Cen- 
tury. 

And yet how trifling the step from the observation at Ted- 
worth to the discovery at Hydesville ! Mr. Mompesson, in bed 
with his little daughter (about Kate's age), whom the sound 
seemed chiefly to follow, "observed that it would exactly 
answer, in drumming, anything that was beaten or called for." 
But his curiosity led him no further. 

Not so Kate Fox. She tried, by silently bringing together her 
thumb and forefinger, whether she could obtain a response. 
Yes ! It could see then, as well as hear ! She called her mother. 
"Only look, mother ! " she said, bringing together again her finger 
and thumb as before. And as often as she repeated the noise- 
less motion, just so often responded the raps. 

This at once arrested her mother's attention. " Count Ten," 
she said, addressing the noise. Ten strokes, distinctly given ! 
"How old is my daughter Margaret?" Twelve strokes! 
"And Kate?" Nine! "What can all this mean?" was Mrs. 
Fox's thought. Who was answering her ? Was it only some 
mysterious echo of her own thought? But the next question 
which she put seemed to refute the idea. " How many children 
have I?" she asked, aloud. Seven strokes. "Ah!" she 
thought, "it can blunder sometimes." And then, aloud, " Try 
again." Still the number of raps was Seven. Of a sudden a 
thought crossed Mrs. Fox's mind. "Are they all alive ? " she 
asked. Silence, for answer. " How many are living ? " Six 
strokes. " How many are dead ? " A single stroke. She had 
lost a child. , 

Then she asked, "Are you a man ? " No answer. "Are you 
a spirit ? " It rapped. " May my neighbors hear, if I call 
them ? " It rapped again. 

Thereupon she asked her husband to call her neighbor, 
a Mrs. Redfield, who came in laughing. But her cheer was soon 
changed. The answers to her inquiries were as prompt and per- 
tinent as they had been to those of Mrs. Fox. She was struck 
with awe ; and when, in reply to a question about the number 



256 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of her children, by rapping Four instead of Three as she 
expected, it reminded her of a little daughter Mary whom she 
had recently lost, the mother burst into tears. 

The reader may consider himself very fortunate in 
obtaining the above narrative from the authority 
quoted, which cannot be questioned ; and " Footfalls " 
was an early work, and is out of print. It serves the 
reader a double purpose in that it gives the first 
practical ideas of " Spirit Rappings," and also of the be- 
ginning of " Spiritual Phenomena," and hence of 
Modern Spiritualism. 

There is so much information that is pertinent to the 
topic under consideration, contained in the following 
article, which is truthful in narration and well con- 
densed, that we think those readers who are inquirers 
should find will be pleased to read it. It is a part of 
the report of the exercises at the Thirty-seventh 
Anniversary of Modern Spiritualism, held in Brooklyn, 
N. Y., March 31, 1885, and reported in the Banner of 
Light, April 25, 1885 ; and is as follows : 

After a song by Prof. J. T. Lillie, Mrs. Leah Fox Underhill, 
the elder of the three Fox sisters (who was on our platform), 
was requested to speak. Mrs. Underhill said that she was not 
a public speaker, but would answer any questions from the 
audience, and in response to these questions told in a graphic 
manner how the spirits came to their humble home in Hydes- 
ville in 1848 ; how on the evening of the 31st of March the first 
intelligent communication from the spirit-world came through 
the raps ; how the family had been annoyed by the manifesta- 
tions, and by the notoriety that followed; how the younger 
sisters, Catherine and Margaret, were taken to Rochester, where 
she lived, by their mother, hoping that this great and apparent 
calamity might pass from them ; how their father and mother 
prayed that this cup might be taken away, but the phenomena 
became more marked and violent ; how in the morning they 
would find four coffins drawn with an artistic hand on the door 
of the dining-room of her home in Rochester, of different sizes, 
approximating to the ages and sizes of the family, and these 



ITS PHENOMENA. 257 

were lined with a pink color, and they were told that unless 
they made this great fact known they would all speedily die, 
and enter the spirit-world. 

Gladly would they all have accepted this penalty for their 
disobedience in not making this truth known to the world. 
She told how they were compelled to hire Corinthian Hall in 
Rochester ; how several public meetings were held in Rochester, 
culminating in the selection of a committee of prominent 
Infidels, who, after submitting the Fox children to the most 
severe tests — they being disrobed in the presence of a committee 
of ladies — reported in their favor. Mrs. Underhill came from a 
sick-bed — from a severe attack of erysipelas — so that she might 
not disappoint our people. All the time she was on our plat- 
form there was a continuous rapping by the spirits in response 
to what was being said by the several speakers, also in response 
to the singing, and all our exercises. 

Again, " rappings " may occur unbidden, and respond 
to the sayings of some person other than the medium,, 
as stated in the last article quoted. 

When living on Summer street in Concord, N. H., in 
1866, a healing medium — a connection of the family 
by marriage — came from the country to make a brief 
visit with us. Her object, in part, was to obtain our 
strongest points against Spiritualism. To this we 
gladly consented, when she went out and purchased a 
reference Bible, in which she " marked " many texts 
for easy future reference. 

On the following evening, while sitting at our table 
candidly discussing and answering questions, especially 
those of our visitor, we suddenly heard those peculiar 
sounds known as " Spirit-Rappings " upon, and also on 
the under surface of the table, and with apparent 
earnestness of purpose. Although surprised and 
tempted by the unbidden phenomena, we made no 
break in our conversation, but mentally and heartily 
asked the Lord to relieve us at once of their presence. 
After attacking the seat and legs of the chair we sat in, 
for a moment, the u raps " ceased, and never since dis- 

17 



258 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

turbed our peace, our prayers, or our position. For 
this favor we thank Him " who hath gathered the wind 
in His fists." (Please read Prov. 30 : 4, 5.) This was 
our only experience in "Rapping" mediumship, "Tip- 
ping " and " Writing " having been our leading gifts, 
naturally, and which we used to practise for investiga- 
tion — never for gain — nor did it make us a Spiritualist, 
because we saw the premises were unsound, though 
certain phenomena were real, as such. 

At this point it is proper to consider the philosophy 
of the " raps " — the real, only — which may be quite sug- 
gestive, if not instructive. The following question, and 
the answer given by " spirits," as claimed at a Banner 
of Light seance, and reported in that paper, under date 
of May 21, 1887, will give their view of the operation 
thus : 



Ques. [By Edwin Cheney.] By what law are raps audible 
to the human ear given by unseen forces upon ponderable ob- 
jects ? 

Ans. Usually these raps are produced by unseen intelligences 
utilizing the superabundant electrical force of some human in- 
strumentality, either in the apartment from whence the sounds 
proceed, or within the house or building. We know that there 
have been occasions where raps and other physical movements 
have been made in untenanted buildings, in which there has 
been no human creature so far as could be discerned by mortal 
eye. In such cases as this, the disturbances are usually made 
by more than one unseen intelligence, by a united band of 
spirits, who have not only gathered certain electrical forces from 
the atmosphere, but who have also the power of making physi- 
cal demonstrations through the superabundance of their own 
electro-magnetism. 

A physical medium is one who possesses within himself a sur- 
plus of that peculiar electrical aura which accompanies great 
vitality, or what is called animal spirits. Such a nature gives 
forth a preponderance of this aura, which is caught up and util- 
ized by attendant spirits, and by the agency of which they are 
enabled to make their presence known to the outward under- 
standing of the children of earth. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 259 

By M unseen intelligences," " band of spirits," " at- 
tendant spirits," etc., is meant " disembodied spirits." 
We have so plainly shown in this work the fallacy 
of such ideas that it hardly needs repetition ; indeed, 
to have believed in them, was but to have been de- 
ceived by them. In place of those terms, read demons, 
and you will be likely to get correct ideas of the direct- 
ing power in each case. And be it remembered, that 
available knowledge of this power enables us to account 
for all real phenomena that occur in the whole line 
of Demon Magnetism, which is the phenomenal part 
of Spiritualism. But any attempt to do so without the 
Bible, would be to invite sure defeat, because it would 
leave weak places in the theory, which human experi- 
ence will not support. 

The article, or " spirit-answer," which we have 
quoted, teaches that the " raps " are made by the " spir- 
its " who have " gathered certain electrical forces," or 
use " their own electro-magnetism," and u utilize a pre- 
ponderance of the medium's electrical aura to make 
their presence known." This Demo-Magnetic cheap 
philosophy is offered, only to deceive the hearer, or 
patron, as it would be fatal to the plan of the demon 
to tell who he is ; hence, he would make the medium, 
or his hearer, or both, believe that this occult force, so 
closely allied with intelligence, is really a " disembod- 
ied human spirit," and so make the ancient assertion 
of the serpent or medium of Eden notoriety, appear 
successfully plausible ! See Gen. 3:4. 

We have said that the " rappings " are peculiar, as 
heard ; so mediums have said, and they have truly 
spoken. The style is telegraphic, but the tone, or key, 
of the sounds lacks the metallic-sounding " click " of 
that instrument, while it is not so sharp as the sound 
made by the electric spark from ordinary apparatus, 



260 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

although it sounds much as if a table was receiving 
a succession of such blows. 

It is very clear, now, that demons do this work, and 
that they often do it in a very direct, though unseen 
way. It is known that if a man raise his cane above 
his head and strike with a quick motion toward the 
ground, a dull, whistling sound will be heard at the 
point, or place of motion. The whistling noise is 
caused by the rushing of the air into the space, or rift 
in the air, which the moving staff made by its motion. 
If this motion should be made very many times quicker, 
then, instead of the whistling noise, the sound would 
be sudden, and much like the firing of a gun. But if 
the same motion were made as quick as lightning, it 
would leave two walls of air, each one five feet high, 
by two feet in width, or ten square feet; equal to 1440 
inches. 

The pressure of the atmosphere, being about fifteen 
pounds to every inch, would then be a moving force of 
more than ten tons ! There being two such surfaces, 
or forces, they would meet on 'a common line with a 
force of more than twenty tons ! The concussion 
caused by the action and reaction of the air, would kill 
the man before he could fall to the ground ! 

Now we can think how easily a demon could rend 
or divide a minute portion of the air surrounding the 
table, or other object, just quick enough to produce the 
peculiarity of tone which has been noted. Indeed the 
wood by its nearness would modify the sound more or 
less. This theory may be suggestive, rather than very 
instructive ; if so, it is well. 

It has been claimed that tippings, rappings, and 
hauntings are efforts on the part of " spirits " to call 
the attention of mortals to their desire for communica- 
tion with them. Admitting this to be true, in the 
matter of desire, but claiming the agency to be demons, 



ITS PHENOMENA. 261 

we can readily believe that they could more easily en- 
gage the attention of sensitive, or mediumistic persons, 
and if so, would gravitate, or be attracted toward them. 
They control, or magnetize many such persons, who, 
Laving different gifts, among them naturally produce 
different kinds of mediumship, and hence, a varied line 
of phenomena, as well. 

Now, suppose a man — a stranger — calls upon a rap- 
ping medium for the purpose of obtaining information 
about a certain matter, and also the persons connected 
with it. The medium makes conditions favorable by 
sitting at a table, perhaps places his hand upon it and 
becomes passive, or willing to receive a communication 
from some dead friend of the visitor. (?) Soon, raps 
are heard, and the medium asks, "Are there any 
' spirits ' present who wish to communicate with the 
visitor ? " Three raps — meaning yes. " Is it his 
father ? " One rap — meaning no. " Is it a brother ? " 
One rap — no. " Is it his mother ? " Three raps — yes. 
(Two raps would mean doubtful.) 

Another way : the visitor will ask the medium to 
call up spirit Mrs. Blank (the visitor's dead mother). 
The medium asks, " Is the spirit, now rapping, Mrs. 
Blank ? " One rap — no. " Do you know Mrs. Blank ? " 
Three raps — yes. " Will you please find her ? " Three 
raps — yes. " Please do so." After a pause — raps. 
(Perhaps a different style of raps.) " Is this spirit Mrs. 
Blank ? " Three raps — yes. 

The visitor can now carry on a conversation through 
the medium, or perhaps do so directly with the " spirit " 
which claims to be his own mother ! It tells him many 
facts which he did not know, and others, of which he 
did know, before. Some proof of identity is usually 
given — perhaps much. If' the "spirit" mother was a 
slow thinking and moving person the raps will be slow 
and indifferent ; but if she was, when living, very active 



262 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

in mind and body, the raps may indicate it by their 
ready, lively style ! 

By this time the visitor is astonished, and more 
curious than ever, and he silently soliloquizes thus: 
" So many facts which no other person could tell me ! 
How can it be ? The medium could not tell them, as 
he did not know, himself! I could not dictate certain 
facts which he gave, for I did not know of them then 
— had no thought about them. I cannot understand 
it." 

The answer is easy. The rappings were done by a 
demon — an evil angel — who says many good things as 
well as bad ones, but all for, a bad end, at last. He had 
the knowledge of all those facts when they occurred, 
and his great memory recalled them when they were 
wanted, and conditions were favorable. 

Now what will result from such an interview? 
This is to the visitor a highly important question. He 
soon learns that nearly all that the medium told him 
was correct ; and this, with the wonderful strangeness 
of the transaction, leaves an impression upon his mind 
that does not fall short of strong interest in it. We 
said nearly all, for this is the maximum average 
amount of truth that is attainable in mediumship, as 
Thousands can testify. At the first seance (in Eden) 
Two-thirds was the ratio of truth given ; i. e., Three 
statements were made through the medium in Gen. 3 : 
4, 5, and Two of them were confirmed as facts (ver. 
22) ; but the third — the lie being " sugar-coated " by 
the other Two — had the effect which was desired by the 
"murderer" [John 8: 44], and it proved fatal. Gen. 
5 : 5. The fact is, it is not wholly reliable. 

If the visitor, or patron of the medium, as above 
stated, proved to be a secular-minded man, perhaps a 
Church attendant, who had without much study 
adopted the idea that the "real man," that is, "his 



ITS PHENOMENA. 263 

spirit," as claimed, is only more alive because the " body 
is dead," he would be likely to see that the real 
phenomena, which he had seen, do not weaken the 
theory which he but loosely held, but rather strengthens 
it. Then it would be but a single step to Spiritualism, 
which is easily taken by assuming that the spirit can, 
after the death of the body, communicate with living 
persons. In this way Thousands of Spiritualists 
are made every year. 

We suppose our imaginary representative character, 
Radical Ghostman, sees our opportunity to make a 
point for Christianity, but his no-responsibility pro- 
clivities will not allow him to prompt us to make it ; 
however, Candid Reader calls it out by asking, " If it 
be so with the man, is he responsible for becoming a 
believer in Spiritualism ? " We answer, he is, for he 
had access to the Bible, which condemns everything 
like pretending to talk with the dead, or denying the 
God of Heaven at any time, or in any manner ; and 
this will ever be done by demons, when tested, as long 
as there is one remaining in the universe ! 

We shall now speak of that phase of Demon Mag- 
netism, or Phenomenal Spiritualism, known as 

" TIPPING MEDIUMSHIP." 

If it be well to " pitch right into this subject," we will 
at once introduce that part of an article written by 
Judge Nelson Cross, which treats on " tipping " medium- 
ship, and which was published in the Banner of Light > 
Dec. 3, 1887. It is as follows : 

During the fall and winter of 1882-3, I formed one of a little 
family circle that sat regularly two evenings a week for the 
development of one of the members, who gave evidence of a 
very interesting phase of mediumship, including Clairvoyance 
and Clairaudience. Before the manifestations had reached 
beyond " table tippings," we were made aware that Spirit 



264 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Prank Cushman, whom we had all become acquainted with at 
Mrs. Williams's seances, formed one of the " band " in attend- 
ance upon our private circle, and in certain business relations, 
it became highly important that I should communicate with 
his brother in the form, who had been for a considerable time 
absent from New York City, but by the most diligent inquiry 
I was unable to ascertain his then whereabouts. 

In this dilemma I applied to Spirit Frank for information, 
who by means of the usual " tippings " informed me that the 
brother I sought was in the city of Philadelphia, and that he 
would endeavor to impress him to come to New York, and 
report to me at my office. However, at our next sitting I was 
informed by means of the table that the spirit found it impos- 
sible to impress his brother with my message, owing to his new 
and impenetrable surroundings. I then inquired of Spirit 
Prank if he could give me his brother's Philadelphia stopping- 
place, which he proceeded to do without hesitation, tipping out 
in letters and figures 1324 Green street. I inquired if a letter 
addressed to that street and number would reach the brother, 
and was answered that it would. 

On the day following I wrote, addressing the letter accord- 
ingly. The evening of the subsequent day Spirit Frank 
volunteered to say that his brother had received my communi- 
cation, and had replied to it by a letter, which I would receive 
the next morning ; and sure enough the Philadelphia morning 
mail brought me a satisfactory reply. 

I have been induced to give publicity to the events above 
narrated, because some of the simpler means of spirit communi- 
cation, such as rapping and table-tipping, have not been duly 
appreciated, even by Spiritualists ; but they are oftentimes the 
best our communicating friends of the other life can do at the 
time, and should always be received with becoming thankful- 
ness. 



In books, papers and clippings we have many such 
accounts ; but this one is a fair sample, is concise, and 
also authentic as a statement of actual occurrences. 
We question nothing, except the directing power and 
intelligence which is claimed for it, viz., the disembodied 
spirit of " Frank Cushman," rather than an evil angel, 
who, we claim, impersonated him so well as to deceive 
his friends. There is no man who is so astute that he 



ITS PHENOMENA. 265 

cannot be deceived. The medium did not deceive, but 
the intelligent being who spoke, acted, or made signs 
by, or through her, as an instrument, or medium, did 
do it, and she could not be called a " humbug," in such 
a case. 

Nevertheless, if the medium being disposed to do 
right, according to the highest known standard of ethics, 
finds that she is being made a mouth-piece for the 
expression in some form or manner, of ideas and theories 
that are, eventually, morally misleading — results prov- 
ing it thus — then she is in duty bound to quit it, and 
not repeat it for friend or foe. This is just what the 
author did in 1861. 

And God, of whom the Bible teaches — He who made 
man, and of whom it was said, " He made the stars also " 
— can, does, and will uphold those who will obey Him. 
And we believe, without one reasonable doubt, that all 
such, " seeking," as they do, " glory and immortality" 
will have " eternal life " through Jesus, the Christ. 

Returning to note a philosophical point in Judge 
Cross's account of the seance as quoted, we remark that 
the wonderful intelligence which was evinced by the 
" spirit," through the medium, let the bottom out of 
the (human) "humbug" theories, which have been 
reviewed, already. 

A little of our personal experience in Tipping 
Mediumship will interest many readers, while some 
will at once accept it as authoritative, knowing our 
carefulness in not overstating occurrences. Our medium- 
ship was a gift — that is, it was natural. We did not 
" develop " it — did not even try to strengthen or 
improve it, but practised it for experiment and investi- 
gation only, during the eight years already noted. 

The author of "Nineteenth Century Miracles" says 
on p. 305, that " the modern medium is one originally 
endowed by nature or inheritance." 



266 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Frank H. Derby says in the Banner of Light, July 
4, 1885 : " The mediums from whom we obtain the 
best results are those whose gifts we may designate as 
spontaneous." We formerly thought all mediums were 
" born so," but we learn that some are " developed " 
from very small natural mediumistic powers. We 
became aware of our own " gift " in the following 
manner: 

On one bright starlight evening during the winter of 
1853-4, when passing up Spring street, in Concord, 
N. H., and when nearing our residence which fronted 
on Centre street, we passed through a neighbor's yard, 
as usual, to " cut off a corner," thus entering our own 
yard at the rear. Following a path through the snow, 
which was crusted hard enough to " bear," and amid 
the perfect stillness of the night — it was nearly Ten 
o'clock— we heard a peculiar sound, as if some person 
was scratching the crust on the snow, with a large sliver 
of wood. 

We then went in the direction of the sounds, which 
continued with short intervals until we came to a clothes- 
line post, where the noise seemed to be located, and the 
crusted snow was closely fitted to the post. Between 
snow and starlight we could have seen a smaller object 
than that which we seemed to hear. Not satisfied with 
hearing so much and seeing nothing of the kind, we 
handled the post, and also the hard snow round about 
it, as well ; but no such thing as we have described was 
there ! 

Heretofore we had accounted for all goblins or sounds, 
but this, a less formidable, but more mysterious occur- 
rence, we failed to account for, and felt fairly beaten 
by it. On the next day it occurred to our mind that 
it might mean mediumship for us. We then improved 
the first opportunity to attend the social sittings at the 
house of Mr. W. J. S , on Myrtle street, where we 



ITS PHENOMENA. 267 

learned by inquiry and experiment that we possessed 
the gifts of " Tipping " and " Mechanical Writing " 
mediumship. These sittings began on account of 
strange feats of writing by the hand of Miss Julia 

L , a respectable servant girl, perhaps eighteen 

years of age. 

One evening it was proposed to have " tippings ; " 
and the author with Two or Three others sat at the 
table in a light room, with hands lightly touching the 
table. Very soon the table tipped so strongly that the 
leaf pressed on our laps, and seemed persistent in re- 
maining so, when Mrs. S came near and said, U I 

guess J can hold it down ; " and so saying, she began 
to place herself upon the opposite leaf: this failed to 
move the table to its place, or even to start it, and 

when it began to break, Mr. S asked her to desist, 

which she did, and the table came back to place with 
a hard thud. 

But some man will say that the force of pressure by 
our hands was the resisting power in this case. We 
have only to remark that it is utterly untrue. Never- 
theless, if such an one feels confident, let him try it in 
the same manner, that is, under similar conditions, and 
he will be satisfied. 

After other interesting phenomena, through the table, 
we suggested that other things might be done, where- 
upon we asked Miss Julia to place her fingers upon the 
top of the table, which she did ; w T e then did the same, 
the tips of our fingers merely touching the table, and 
when we said, "Please follow" it followed us, readily, 
our finger tips still touching it, and nothing else did 
touch it save the floor on which it glided along. 

It may now be objected that " this is a simple kind 
of mediumship." Very well. It will be more easily un- 
derstood by many of the common people who have not 
seen it, and this is one reason why we present this kind, 



268 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

and hope to make it clear, since the principle is the 
same in all kinds of mediumship, so far as its philoso- 
phy and its agency is concerned ; while its character 
can only be known by its teachings and moral influence, 
which will ever be the practical test. 

Again, we wish to be distinctly understood to say 
that there is no man on earth who can by any power, 
laws or rules, known to human science, produce the 
u simple " phenomena we have described. We mean, 
that much of it is, in point of production, superhuman, 
and, therefore, human science cannot grapple with the 
problem ; much less can man's poor " spirit " without 
an active brain ever do it., It can make a good imita- 
tion by collusion, which is only another name for hu- 
man trickery, and that is all. The reader who has 
read in course, knows we have presented evidence 
enough to warrant the radical assertion which we have 
made. 

Now, once more, Honest Skeptic thinks he can make 
a telling point against us, and earnestly asks : " Seeing 
that the author admits the production of real phenom- 
ena through tipping, and other mediumship which dis- 
plays intelligence, by communicating interesting facts 
at times, why does he not accept it on its own claims, 
and allow it to stand on its own merits ? " Some of the 
author's experience with " spirits," i. e., demons, will 
at once answer our friend's question. 

Being at leisure one evening in the autumn of 1855, 
at our home, our companion joined with us in attempt- 
ing to get tidings through " table-tipping," from a rela- 
tive from whom we had heard nothing for nearly a 
year. A demon — we did not know it then — pretended 
to be the spirit of a person whom we knew to be dead, 
and whom we had in the usual way " called up," and 
he answered our questions promptly. He told us that 
our friend had died with typhoid fever, in Hudson, N. H., 



ITS PHENOMENA. 269 

about Two Hundred miles away, giving particulars. 
We wrote immediately to a friend, and learned that the 
man about whom we had inquired was, and had been 
well, and was laying stone every day ! ! 

The bottom had now dropped out of the spirit-relia- 
bility bucket, and Truth failed to rise to the surface 
in it ! Still we would give it another chance, and ere 
it had disappeared from our view, we recovered it and 
replaced the bottom ; but despite our best wishes and 
efforts it would, from time to time, " drop out " and 
leave us in disgust; therefore, in order to be honest 
with ourself we had to abandon it, and let it hang bot- 
tomless in the well ; and useless as well. 

And now, Honest Skeptic, we can assure you that any 
intelligence — call it Spirit, Serpent, Man, Angel, or 
other title that sets itself in opposition to Bible Teach- 
ings, will somewhere, at some time, lose its moral bot- 
tom, and Truth will fail to appear at the top, because 
the bottom of the boasted, though contraband bucket 
has warped, curled up, and dropped out ! 

But it may be well to offer other evidence of the un- 
reliable character of the " spirits " in question ; hence, 
we subjoin a very interesting communication to the 
Banner of Light, by F. Melcher, of Charleston, S. C. 
This evidence will be accepted, as it comes from our 
opponents' side of the question, and was published in 
the Banner under date of Aug. 21, 1886. It is as 
follows : 

When I first began to investigate Spiritualism, some eight 
years ago, a spirit came to me while I was sitting at the table 
with my daughters who said he was a friend of mine from 
Germany. He spelled his name by calling the alphabet, and 
said he had died about a week ago, and I would receive the 
news of his death in about two weeks. 

In my inexperience I took this for absolute truth, and waited 
patiently for the news. No news came ; but about a month 
later I received a letter from my friend, then about seventy 



270 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

years old, stating that he was hale and hearty. This staggered 
me ; and if I had not meanwhile received other proofs of the 
truth of Spiritualism, I might have thrown the whole subject 
overboard as a delusion. 

Shortly after, the spirit who had simulated my friend came to 
the table, and I upbraided him for his deceit. He then said that 
he was from the same town, and knew of the friendship between 
my friend and myself; that he had been afraid, if he had stated 
his own name, he would have been sent off, and would not have 
had the opportunity to progress in our society, and begged our 
pardon. 

About two years after, a spirit appeared at our house, profess- 
ing to be my friend — the same one who was personified before. 
He told me the day of his death, and other particulars, which I 
noted down, but kept silent about it. About two weeks after I 
received a letter from his son-in-law, telling me that the old gen- 
tleman died on the exact day his spirit had told me. 

Later on I had several more cases of the same kind, seven in 
all, and of these, four proved true to the letter, while three, in- 
cluding the one above related, proved to be falsehoods, although 
we never found out why the spirits had told us a lie on the sub- 
ject, except in the first case related above. 

The matter remains still a mystery, in spite of the very lucid 
answer to the question in the Banner. All these seven spirits 
manifested the same way, through the table, with my wife and 
daughters and myself at the table, and appeared to be always 
reliable ; but still three out of seven were not truthful, as we 
afterwards learned when we received the news from Europe. 

Without comment, which is needless, we append the 
following extract from the Banner of Light (seance), 
Jan. 7, 1888, being a question, and the essential part 
of a lengthy answer by the " spirit control," as follows : 

Q. — What is the cause of our receiving inconsistent and un- 
truthful communications ? Does the blame, if any there is, rest 
with us or the controlling intelligence ? 

A. — There are spirits who delight in imposing upon mortals ; 
they realize their power outside of material things, and that 
those who seek knowledge from them cannot see nor get hold 
of them ; therefore, to an extent, they exercise a certain power 
over those mortals who approach ; and if the mortals are of 
themselves tricky by nature, insincere, ready to take advantage 



ITS PHENOMENA. 271 

of others, whether it be at the time of sitting or in their daily- 
life, rest assured they may be imposed upon by spirits from the 
other side who occupy a like plane of existence with them- 
selves. 

We have proven that Spiritualism admits that it 
rests, and that it can only rest, on mediumship, or 
" spirit communion." The above two articles, with our 
own similar experience, as given, are only samples of 
its unreliability as a whole, or entirety. Verily, 
this is poor foundation — too poor to command our con- 
fidence in what may be built upon it. 

We come now to notice the truly wonderful phenom- 
ena of 

WRITING MEDIUMSHIP. 

Of this phenomena, there are two kinds. They are, 
Direct Writing, and Independent Writing. Of Direct 
Writing there are Three phases ; Mechanical, Inspira- 
tional, and Trance. 

This kind of phenomena is far more convincing to 
the intelligent skeptic than any other that is known to 
mediumship, and we have often wondered that Spirit- 
ualists who were anxious to override fraud by convinc- 
ing proofs — we mean, proofs of actual phenomena, not 
of the agency — should make use of phases, or kinds of 
mediumship that are more easily imitated, rather than 
such as are proof against both fraud and Science. Such 
is Direct Mechanical Writing Mediumship. Still, this 
does not prove even the existence of disembodied 
human spirits. 

We say that writing is direct, when it is done with 
a pen or pencil held in the usual way ; or Independent, 
when it is moved without the touch of any person. 
See Slate Writing. 

We call it mechanical, when the pencil is made to 
form letters, words and sentences, and when the person 



272 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

so writing has no knowledge of what he is writing, 
unless actually reading it. The author has done this 
in daylight, as well as by the evening lamp. In such 
cases the pencil was held by the fingers, as usual, 
while the arm rested lightly and passively on the 
table, and the other hand held the paper in place. 
At the word, or signal, "please write," the pencil 
moved on the paper and wrote the handwriting of the 
person whom the " spirit " claimed to be, when in 
" earth-life." 

A thrill of the nerves from the elbow to the fingers, 
and the awkwardness of seeing the hand move indepen- 
dent of the will, were the only sensations realized 
during the strange operation. The hand was moved 
as if by another hand. 

Miss J L (before mentioned) was a stronger 

medium of the same kind. We have seen her write a 
communication in French, although she did not know 
the language ! Much less did she know the subject 
matter ; but soon, a Frenchman saw it, and read it 
easily ! 

Here Science stops, hooks his thumbs into his bouquet 
button-holes, and sighs for a new invoice of theories, 
whereof to make an escape-ladder for it, as such hard 
facts are insurmountable by his principles and appli- 
ances ! Had the Seybert Commission employed such 
mediumship, and when its members could not explain 
it, have confronted it with an open Bible, there would 
have been a theological quake quite sufficient to shake 
infidel theories, and especially Modern Spiritualism. 
We think it was a lost opportunity which might be 
redeemed with honor to the Commission, and prove a 
limit to Science, as well. 

But another incident which we noticed in Miss J 

L 's mediumship, at the place afore-mentioned, will 

be found interesting and instructive in its way. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 273 

One evening, when a good number of friends and 
neighbors had come together as curious and candid 
inquirers about the " tippings," and the wonderful 
writing done by the young lady medium who kindly 
and honestly exercised her gift for our investigation, 
one of the party had invited his friend, a new acquaint- 
ance, and who was an entire stranger to the medium,, 
and, we think, to the rest of the company. 

After one or two " spirits " had been called, and had 
written their messages by the hand of the medium to 
the amazement of some, and amusement of others less 
thoughtful who stood around the table, the stranger 
wished the Medium to "call up" a friend of his who 
had recently died. Presently, the wish was apparently 
granted, according to the writing of the medium. For 
paper, the good housewife had provided remnants of 
house paper, the blank side of which was well suited 
to the kind of writing practised. 

The stranger now inquired about certain business 
and other transactions between his brother who was 
dead, and the informing " spirit." The answers were 
highly satisfactory, and received with astonishment. 
He then asked, " Have you anything more to say ? " 
The medium quickly wrote, " Yes" " Please write," 
said the stranger. With much earnestness the medium 

wrote, " Go, and marry widow B ! " The writer 

standing at the left of the medium, easily read as fast 
as she wrote, and was nearly dazed at the very unique 
message from " spirit-land." (?) The man, however, 
could not read it so readily, nor did the medium her- 
self do so, and failing to decipher it she said, " Please 
write again." Instantly, she wrote furiously, making 
letters more than one inch square, "6fo, and marry 
widow B / / " 

The " spirit " seemed to display anger at the request 
to repeat the message, insomuch, that the pencil was 

18 



274 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

pressed through the paper in places, and on ending the 
sentence the hand of the medium was driven beyond 
the near edge of the table, when a reflex motion hurt 
her hand upon it. This seemed more awkward because 
of the entire absence of anger on her part. 

The stranger gazed a moment upon the significant 
proposition, when with a blush on his face he said, 
"That's all" and quickly gathered the paper — fully a 
yard in length — into a crumpled mass and put it into 
the stove where it was burned at once ! After some 
less exciting phenomena had been produced, all retired 
to their homes more curious than ever about the strange 
" doings " of the evening. 

Female curiosity, however, was not to be thus readily 
disposed of by the burning of the writing and the im- 
probable return of the stranger. In the afternoon of 
the next day, a few neighbors invited the medium to 
the same house, where she "called up" the same 
"spirit" (as claimed), who, through the medium, wrote 
out the particulaps. in the case, insomuch that they 
were able to trace the persons in question, and their 
operations as well. 

Our venerable and much esteemed friend Time, while 
" proving" other things, proved also, that the "stranger" 
suddenly left the city for parts unknown, even to gos- 
sips ; and that in the fulness of time the widow had 
increased the Census account by one, whose paternal 
parentage was a matter of speculation in his absence ! ! 

Now, we have scores of narratives quite as wonder- 
ful as this, and many of them are true; but having 
personal knowledge of the facts just related makes the 
account interesting, and the more so because it agrees 
with our own experience in mediumship. 

Some facts proving the absence of human fraud and 
the presence of superhuman intelligence, in the subject 
of our narrative, should be properly noted. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 275 

1. It was a gathering of friends and neighbors to in- 
vestigate the strange things which were said and done 
by mediums — no " money in it " in any sense. 

2. The medium had no part in it, except to allow 
the occult or unseen power to move her hand as it 
saw fit — sometimes so hard as to hurt it upon the 
table ! 

3. The medium could read only a part of the mes- 
sages, even when written in English — her native 
tongue. 

4. She and her questioner were entire strangers to 
each other. 

5. Messages were written, the facts of which none 
in the room had any knowledge of whatever, not even 
the questioner. Of course, this was only true of a 
part of the number of cases, but this is enough to prove 
superhuman intelligence, which we claim. 

Say, now, Honest Skeptic, can you beg the question 
enough to assert that the " thinking part of man," 
which Spiritualism admits does more or less hover near 
the body which it left, taking sustenance from its emana- 
tions, from its surroundings, and especially from food 
which is being prepared for the living, comes back in a 
few days to astonish the living with a superhuman 
knowledge of facts, and occasionally with prodigious 
lies, as well ? 

The same demon who grasped, through magnetic 
power, the medium's hand, making it write truthful 
information, may cause another medium, or even the 
same one, to tell clear-cut lies as we have shown on other 
pages of this work. This fact makes it unreliable, but 
as that may be doubted, we copy from the Banner of 
Light, Sept. 10, 1887, a question which was propounded 
to the w spirits " at a regular seance, and also the an- 
swer to the same, in full. It will be seen that the fault 



276 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

occurred in the same kind of mediumship, viz., Direct 
Mechanical Writing. The article is as follows : 

Ques. [By W. C. Ralphs, Cocoa, Fla.] How can a person 
who sits for development, and has writing of an untruthful na- 
ture executed by his hand without his own volition, change the 
control to one that will give only that which is true ? 

Ans. It sometimes happens through the process of medium- 
istic development that spirits are attracted to the unfolding me- 
dium who are of the earth earthy, rather of a physical than of 
a spiritual nature, who do not pay strict allegiance to the rules of 
truth, who delight in experimenting with whatever phases of 
mediumship the instrument may possess. 

It may be possible that some such spirit as this has come in 
contact with your correspondent and is making use of his me- 
diumistic qualities for self-gratification. If so, this spirit must 
be displaced by one of a higher nature. 

In order to do this it will be necessary for the medium to 
earnestly invoke the presence of the pure and high-minded 
from the higher life, not only to simply request that the disturb- 
ing influence shall depart and his place be taken by those of a 
higher order, but to desire it from the very depths of the soul, 
to pray for it constantly and sincerely, to seek the purest, most 
harmonious of associations, and if still the disturbing influence 
remains, it may be wise for the medium to seek the companion- 
ship of one, two, or more harmonious friends who can assimi- 
late magnetically together, and in their presence sit for the un- 
foldment of his medial powers; thus will a battery, so to speak, 
be formed, which will enable spiritual intelligences to make use 
of his mediumship in a higher and wiser degree than they may 
possibly have done before. 

It may be, however, that the spirit who gives the unsound 
statements through this mechanical writing is not evil-disposed 
nor falsely inclined ; it may be that he does not fully compre- 
hend his work or the subject he has in view; it may be that he 
does not fully control the machine which is under his care ; 
false statements may be explained upon these or some other hy- 
potheses. 

Let the medium or the friends closely question the spirit, 
until they are satisfied whether he is falsifying willfully or 
through some law which has not yet been explained. If he 
proves himself to be fair-minded and honorably inclined, they 
may, by patient experiment and waiting, give to him such con- 
ditions as will enable him to fully control the instrument, that 



v ITS PHENOMENA. 277 

is, place him upon ground where he can make clear, careful and 
truthful statements. It would be wise, however, for the medium 
in question to come into the magnetic companionship of good 
friends, those who are wise, teachable and sympathetic, and 
uniting with them, earnestly seek the highest unfoldments, the 
clearest revelations of spiritual life. [Italics are ours.] 

We have called attention by italics to those specula- 
tive terms, " if" and " may be," which are peculiar to 
" spirit messages," and will be seen elsewhere. We 
think it begs the question, or theory of Modern Spirit- 
ualism, very much. 

The following excerpt from a seance report may be 
found in the Banner of Light, Aug. 22, 1863, and 
treats upon the method of Direct Mechanical Writing, 
thus : 

Ques. Do spirits concentrate their power upon the brain and 
nerves ? 

Aiis. Sometimes on the nervous system. In cases of me- 
chanical writing, power is concentrated upon the ganglion of 
the arm, and is not at all connected with the brain. In cases 
of entire physical control, it pervades the entire physical body. 

This is simple, very concise, and without doubt cor- 
rect in every particular, if we substitute demons for 
" spirits." It is said that communications partake of 
the mind through whom they come, but it cannot be 
true of Direct Mechanical Writing ; hence, its great 
value as a test. 



INSPIRATIONAL WRITING 

is when, attempting to write on a subject, the writer 
is helped, or led beyond his natural ability so as to 
exceed himself, as it were, in recollecting, originating, 
and arranging ideas that are pertinent to the subject, 
so as to present them with remarkable clearness. The 



278 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

difference between this and Inspirational speaking is 
in the manner of expression, only. 

The following question, and answer given by a 
spirit (as claimed), is from the Banner of Light, 
March 7, 1891 : 

Q— E. H. C, Grand Rapids, Mich., writes: "Will the Con- 
trolling Intelligence please tell us what to do in this ease f Spirits 
who were open and avowed enemies while in the form, return, since 
passing to the spirit-world, and ask forgiveness of us, and we freely and 
gladly grant ours, and also ask theirs (if they feel we need it, which 
they claim we do not). They then commence a series of falsehoods, 
until checked by ourselves, and then they promise to come truthfully ; 
but at the very next opportunity they do the same thing again — come 
personating some one else until detected, and then beg for forgiveness 
and promise truthfulness, only to break the promise. We cannot ban- 
ish them ; what shall we dot" i 

A. — I should take hold of a spirit of that sort just the same 
as I should take hold of an individual on earth who had 
deceived me repeatedly, in spite of my attempts to overcome 
that tendency of falsehood in his nature by kindly acts. I 
should refuse to receive him. Your correspondent may say : 
" But how can we keep him out of our home, since we cannot 
meet him as we would a mortal and refuse him entrance?" 

You can keep a spirit out of your home if you will learn to 
exercise the law of psychological power. You can send out a 
positive will-force against the encroachments or approach of such 
a spirit ; and so build up a barrier between you and him that 
he cannot penetrate. If you please you can refuse to sit for 
manifestations of mediumship, and so debar that spirit from 
communicating as he has done. Render yourself positive for a 
time, so that the spirit will see that it is useless for him to ap- 
proach, because he can make no impression upon you. Let him 
understand distinctly that finding you cannot do him good and 
improve his nature by your association, but that he continues 
willful and deceitful, you wish to have no further communica- 
tion with him, and after a while he will cease to intrude. 

I believe it is right and our duty to welcome returning spirits, 
be they high and exalted or be they sad and sorrowful, or even 
be they mischievously inclined, if by so doing we can benefit 
returning souls or grow ourselves. If an undeveloped spirit is 
brought to us by some other intelligence, and the desire is man- 
ifested that we shall receive him and give him counsel of a 



ITS PHENOMENA. 279 

truthful, kindly nature, it is our duty to do it ; but it is not our 
duty to continue to receive a spirit who shows no desire to grow 
or to become better, or in any way to improve his moral char- 
acter. 

It is just as much your duty to close out such a mischievous 
intelligence from your homes as a spirit as it would be to close 
out such a contaminating person who was still in the form. 

The above is instructive and suggestive to the student 
of the Spiritual Philosophy. 

TRANCE-WRITING MEDIUMSHIP 

is well described in the following editorial paragraph 
which we clipped from the Banner of Light, but failed 
to copy the date. We believe that it was dated 1886. 
It is pertinent to the topic before us, and is very 
important if duly considered ; hence we give a reprint : 

SPIRITUALISTIC FACTS. 

Mr. J. J. Owen, of the San Francisco Golden Gate, says he has 
known a little girl — a mere child, delicate in health, and back- 
ward in mental development — whose hand would be used 
automatically by unseen intelligences in writing long messages 
to the living, messages of love and wisdom, written often in a lan- 
guage of which she had not the slightest knowledge, and during all 
which writing she was wholly unconscious. 

As corroborative evidence in proof of what our contemporary 
says regarding spirit power and its action through mediums on 
the mental plane, we could cite at random from an extended 
experience many instances of such manifestation. We have, 
for instance, often had translated into English, through the 
mediumship of the late Mrs. J. H. Conant, German letters, the 
language of which she did not understand. 

They were first read aloud to us in that language, with the 
proper accents, as well as an educated German could have done 
— the lady reading them while her eyelids were totally closed ! Then 
she (or, we should perhaps say, the occult intelligence in control 
at the time) would give us the translation in English. We have 
had many business letters in the long ago answered in this way. 
Yet, to-day, notwithstanding the indisputable proof we and 
thousands of other Spiritualists have had, and are still having, 



280 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

that spirits control mediums, and often " speak in unknown 
tongues, but by the same spirit," we find highly intelligent 
men and women (otherwise) who scout the idea, and call all 
spiritual phenomena " humbug." 

This concise description of the phase of phenomena 
under consideration will be at once explained, if the 
reader will substitute demons for the word "intel- 
ligences," or prefix it by evil, making it read evil intel- 
ligences, meaning evil angels. Further on, the word 
spirits should be qualified in the same way. By doing 
this, the article will be descriptive, instructive and 
explanatory; and, without a reasonable doubt in our 
mind, wholly truthful ! It would agree with the 
teachings of the Bible, and would not outrage common 
sense, nor disagree with facts, so far as we know them. 

SLATE-WRITING 

differs from that already described, only in the kind of 
tablet used to write upon — the former being paper, 
while that of the latter is a slate, either single or double. 
When writing is produced on the inside of a double 
or folding slate while it is closed, the phenomenon is 
more amazing to beholders, which perhaps accounts for 
the demand for " slate-writing " for some years past. It 
has amounted to almost a "craze " among the admirers 
of such phenomena, and it has made many converts to 
Spiritualism. 

It is now seen that the difference above noticed has 
a wonderful distinction, in that a folding slate may 
inclose a " tiny bit of pencil," and while securely 
fastened a communication may be written with the 
pencil, independent of the medium who holds it, or is 
near it at the time. To save time in discussion, we 
will now admit that this is done under favorable circum- 
stances and conditions, through and by the directing 



ITS PHENOMENA. 281 

power of demon-magnetism, wrongly named (human) 
" Spiritual Manifestations." Of course, we do not now 
refer to the many slate-writing frauds that have been 
figuring in seances for years, and which in many cases 
have gorged the gullibility of the gullible, who, perhaps, 
were satisfied with what they got for their money. 

If it be strange that mediums should choose slate- 
writing, which is so well adapted to the practice of 
fraud, for test purposes, instead of simple direct writing, 
where fraud need not be possible, then it is also strange 
that noted mediums should resort to any form of 
fraud for the same purpose. It may be that they think 
to convince others by appearing to perform that which 
they know is impossible, for angels, even, to accomplish. 

Our readers are requested to carefully peruse the fol- 
lowing editorial paragraph, and compare it with preced- 
ing ones. We clipped it from the Banner of Light, 
Nov. 7, 1885 : 

THE MEDIUM EGLINTON. 

Mr. Eglinton's mediumistic powers suffer no diminution. 
Last month, as reported in Light, a gentleman (G. H. Wood- 
house, of Bolton) took a bank-note from his pocket, and, plac- 
ing it face downwards on the table, wrote (unknown to Mr. 
Eglinton) in the famous Bramah-locked slate the following 
question : " Will you write the number of the bank-note which 
is on the table ? " In a very short time the spirits wrote : " Yes ; 
but put it in the slate." He did so and locked the slate. In a 
few seconds the answer was correctly given. 

After more questions had been asked and answered, he placed 
a cigarette in the locked-up slate and asked that the name of 
the maker, which was printed on the cigarette paper, might be 
written. The slate was put on the table, and at the same 
time Mr. Eglinton held an ordinary slate under the table and 
almost directly under the locked-up slate, for the purpose of re- 
ceiving a reply to an unanswered question. 

In a short time was heard the sound of writing, followed by 
the customary three taps on the lower slate, and on that slate 
the gentleman found the name of the maker correctly written, 
and also the cigarette which had been locked up in the other 



282 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

slate. When he unlocked the upper slate nothing was found 
therein but a few fragments of tobacco ! 

The Banner calls this " mediumistic powers/' and 
we are astonished at the saying. Either the cigarette 
did move out of the closed and "locked up slate," or it did 
not. If it did do so, then it must have been disinte- 
grated so as to become merely dust, in order to pass be- 
tween the frames and over the edge of the table, then 
under it, and thence dropped upon the lower slate ! More- 
over, it must have been re-formed into a cigarette, and 
that too, " in a short time ! " Or, otherwise, it must 
dematerialize and pass out of the slate, then materialize 
in transit to the slate under the table ! ! Now, who 
will say credo ? (I believe). 

But there is a way out of this dilemma, such as it is, 
and that way is to charge the whole account to the 
faulty vision of the alleged beholders of the phenome- 
non, and then balance it by admitting it to be jugglery ! 
This detour passes us " through 360°," as Prof. Zollner 
said by the knotted string, and brings us to Slades 
Junction [with Dr. Lankester], where we inquire the 
way again by asking, Whether we shall be able to 
reach Reliability, either by the Jugglery Line, or the 
Demo- Magnetism Route, where through tickets may be 
had for the Great Review ? Without doubt many 
moral philosophers will prepare a report and schedule : 
meanwhile we will take a practical view of Psychog- 
raphy, or 

INDEPENDENT WRITING MEDIUMSHIP, 

as given in a carefully prepared list of numerated 
points by Baron Carl Duprel {Munich) , in Nord und 
Sud, and was published in the Banner of Light, Nov. 
20, 1886. The Baron says : 



ITS PHENOMENA. 283 

One thing is clear; that is, that Psychography must be as- 
cribed to a transcendental origin. We shall find : 

1. That the hypothesis of prepared slates is inadmissible. 

2. The place upon which the writing is found is quite inac- 
cessible to the hands of the medium. In some cases the double 
slate is securely locked, leaving only room inside for the tiny 
morsel of slate-pencil. 

3. That the writing is actually done at the time. 

4. That the medium is not writing. 

5. The writing must be actually done with the morsel of slate 
or lead pencil. 

6. The writing is done by an intelligent being, since the an- 
swers are exactly pertinent to the questions. 

7. This being can read, write, and understand the language 
of human beings, frequently such as is unknown to the me- 
dium. 

8. It strongly resembles a human being, as well in the degree 
of its intelligence as in the mistakes sometimes made. These 
beings are, therefore, although invisible, of human nature or its 
species. It is no use whatever to fight against this proposition. 

Thus far, eight points are made and offered, seven 
of which are so well taken that they will, we think, 
withstand all criticism ; the eighth one, however, may 
be criticised. The first clause in it, although clear-cut 
truth, is a concession in favor of Bible teachings, and 
therefore against Spiritualism. It admits that those 
" beings," usually called " spirits " and " angels," make 
" mistakes," and if so, they cannot be superior to holy 
angels of Bible account, since they make no mistakes, 
and are, therefore, worthy of our confidence. 

The last Two clauses in the point (8) argue that the 
" beings " are human, or " disembodied spirits." The 
demons always take this course, as they do not want 
to come in their true guise, hence they come in disguise 
as "human spirits" in order the better to mislead the 
living and cheat them out of eternal life by making 
them believe that they already have it ! 

9. If these beings speak, they do so in human language. 



284 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

10. If they are asked who they are, they answer that they are 
beings who have left this world. . 

The writer has told us the truth; these "beings" 
always say that, but they always lie about it, as they 
have never left this world since they were cast out of 
heaven into it, as evil angels, or demons, nor will they 
leave it until they are destroyed by the "King of 
Kings." 

11. When these appearances become partly visible, perhaps 
only their hands, the hands seen are of human form. 

12. When these parts become entirely visible, they show the 
human form and countenance. 

The Baron says truly, that "these appearances," 
altogether, show the human form. Thus demons suc- 
ceed in palming themselves off as human spirits, and 
deceive \nanv. 

WRITING IN THE AIR 

properly belongs to Impressional mediumship, as the 
writing is simply an impress upon the medium's mind, 
remaining only long enough to be read by him. The 
message may be seen in Roman or any other kind of 
letters as well as in script form. See Impressional 
mediumship. 

MATERIALIZATION 

is a term wrongly applied to a phase of mediumship 
more generally known because of the many frauds 
which are peculiar to it. Indeed, the very name will 
disgust many persons, because of this fact ; yet there 
are manifestations so tangible in appearance, that they 
are readily named " Materializations." Like slate- 
writing, we wonder at the extensive use of it, seeing 
that it is so easily counterfeited, whereas with direct 
writing it is not so. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 285 

We had thought to say little of this phase of me- 
diumship because of the exposes so often seen in the 
public journals ; but a second thought reminded us that 
many thoughtful readers and new investigators would 
be much interested in any facts which pertain to it, and 
consider them valuable as a reference : hence we pre- 
sent a few of the best from the highest authority, out 
of the many we have on hand. 

In the Banner of Light, Sept. 4, 1886, we find an 
essay on Materialization, " given through the inspira- 
tional mediumship of H. Arthur Root." We give a 
reprint of several connected paragraphs, beginning as 
follows : 

First, then, what is Spirit-materialization? 

The physical eye can only see that which has a material form 
and substance. It can see only through the medium of light. 
You can apprehend nothing by the senses unless it comes upon 
a plane with the physical and is related to you in form and 
tangibility. The physical sense cannot apprehend the spirit- 
ual. Spirit, therefore, must express itself through a material 
channel, else it is unknown to you. 

We look upon matter as an expression of spirit, and yet 
coexistent with it. We hold that there is a great cosmic energy 
in which and through which spirit is ever expressing itself. 
This cosmic energy must not be confounded with spirit, but as 
secondary to spirit, the primary or absolute. Matter then is a 
resultant of balanced forces or energy on a certain plane, be- 
coming real to us when we are related to it on a like plane, pos- 
sessing bodies through which we apprehend by sensuous evi- 
dence our surroundings and conditions. 

When spirits pass out from the physical life by the change of 
death, they enter another sphere or plane of dynamic energy 
more or less removed from your own, consequently invisible to 
you. When, therefore, spirits return with the object of giving 
to mortals a sensuous evidence of their presence, they must use 
the life-forces given off from a medium to produce physical 
effects. They do this by coming into sympathetic unison* with 

*To illustrate: a flute played near a piano will cause the 
strings in unison with it to vibrate. 



286 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the vito-magnetic and electric life-forces liberated by the 
medium. This is true of all physical mediumship, but es- 
pecially so in that for materialization. For this reason spirit- 
forms are largely identical with the medium, resembling such 
in personality to a greater or less extent. 

The process of materialization is as follows : Each individual 
has a conscious and an unconscious will-power, by which he or 
she keeps the physical body upon the earth-plane of being. The 
conscious will governs all voluntary acts, is identified with men- 
tality and thought, or mind, and holds the mental forces. The 
unconscious will governs the physical and life-forces ; keeps the 
circulatory, digestive, assimilative and secretive organs in action, 
and is concerned in physical life. The radiation of the uncon- 
scious will-force is sometimes called animal magnetism. 

A physical or materializing medium is a person in whom the 
unconscious will may be relaxed to a certain extent, liberating 
the life and magnetic forces with which spirits come into sympa- 
thetic unison, producing a balance or equipoise of elementary 
forces on your plane of being, and resulting in a material, tangi- 
ble human form, separate from the medium. Let it always be 
remembejed, however, that this human form is made up of the 
life-forces of the medium, and belongs by right to him or her, 
and the unconscious will, but partially relaxed, is continually 
calling back its own. For this reason spirits hold these forms 
by an effort, and when advancing far from the cabinet are ap- 
parently drawn back again by an irresistible attarction. 

Dematerialization occurs when the spirit releases its hold upon 
the form ; the next force which asserts itself being gravity, the 
form drops downward and disappears. 

The foregoing philosophy of Materialization should 
have a careful reading. It would show that the ideas 
advanced in explanation are made to conform with the 
claim that human spirits not only exist, but are factors 
in these wonderful phenomena — wonderful when real, 
and very disgusting if fraudulent; and that much of it 
is so, is evidently the case. As the claim is not sus- 
tained by Scripture teachings, certain known facts 
and common sense, we are obliged to reject it. Aside 
from this — admitting demon power — there is philo- 
sophical truth in it, worthy of notice. Nevertheless, 
some authorities concede, as all should do, that " Mate- 



ITS PHENOMENA. 287 

rialization " is too strong a terra for the real phenomena 
in question. We would call it Phantomization. 

It is very clear that those who believe in natural 
immortality cannot disprove Mr. Root's philosophy, as 
above quoted. But we must notice another paragraph 
in his essay, which is as follows : 

The clothing these forms wear is actual material substance 
for the time being, procured in various ways, generally focalized 
from the clothing of the medium or surrounding objects, and 
held on a physical plane on the same principle of a poise of 
forces. Being focalized from inanimate objects, it may remain 
in your physical plane permanently, and portions be carried 
away from the seance."(! !) 

Now comes a din made by many voices in accord 
and discord, and altogether making a prolonged musical 
pitch on " F, natural," as they exclaim O-o-o-o-what a 
whopper ! "Actual clothing " made by the " spirits," 
" and portions of it " carried away from the seance ! ! 

Well, reader, we are ready to admit all that humanity 
in any phase can accomplish, and, also, the achieve- 
ments of angelic power per se, but when Almighty 
power is said to be furnished to the order of those 
whose " Declaration of Principles " substantially deny 
Him and His word, then we claim the right to with- 
hold our credo from it, since we have no evidence that 
God performs miracles merely for the amusement of 
His enemies. 

We have said that " Materialization " frauds were 
many : therefore we notice some remarks of Mr. Root 
in his essay, already quoted, and which are as follows : 

Probably the most discouraging feature in materialization, and 
the source of much perplexity, is the exposure and supposed 
fraud of known mediums. While the conditions of a material- 
ization circle unfortunately favor fraudulent imitations, we are quite 
satisfied that there is much in " materialization " that cannot be 



288 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

imitated by mortal means under similar conditions. [Italics 
are ours.] 

IMPRESSIONAL MEDIUMSHIP 

is a phase of Spiritual phenomena, which is manifested 
by persons having keen perceptive faculties, and who 
are very susceptible to influences. They have a men- 
tal and nervous make-up which is so sensitive that 
impressions are easily made upon them when conditions 
are favorable. In many cases it amounts to a remark- 
able gift, it being a prominent peculiarity of the individ- 
ual, while in others it is seen, but in a less degree ; and 
some are but a little more impressional than the old 
oaken bucket, and not half so poetic ! 

This gift — for such it is — occupies a place in nearly 
every phase of mediumship. It is one of man's best 
gifts, if. its exercise be modified by the true standard 
of moral principle, and may easily work his ruin, if it 
is not. 

Impressions, like subjects in " direct writing," cannot 
be anticipated [in real phenomena], hence, Science can 
take no part in it, but simply looks on ! An impression 
may come like a flash and portray an occurrence in a 
picture upon the mind which the medium may describe 
in his own verbiage, or style of language, as reason 
may suggest, and principle decide. We call such 
impressions advance pictures ; hence, seem literal. 
This occurs in premonitory dreams, or visions. 

Writing in the air (already noted) is a highly inter- 
esting phase of mediumship, and is, of course, impres- 
sional. The message in whatever form is distinctly 
seen long enough to be read and then vanishes instantly ! 
We had a very important message presented to us in 
the afternoon of Friday, July 28, 1865, which extended 
across a room. The letters were Roman, about Two 
inches square, of a blue color, and were set exactly in 



ITS PHENOMENA. 289 

line. As soon as it was read it disappeared. The 
message itself and all of its bearings have ever proved 
that it was against Spiritualism. 

An impressional picture may be spread out upon the 
mind, and with it an impression that it is typical, that 
is, the occurrence to which it points, whether past or in 
the future, is like it in character, but greater in extent 
and importance. Or, the impression may be symboli- 
cal, meaning something different from the picture drawn 
upon the mind ; perhaps the extreme opposite. The 
second, or after-impression, decides in such cases, and 
may be called the key to the symbol as it unfolds the 
subject, and thus presents the object of the present- 
ment. 

Impressions, such as we are considering, are psycho- 
logical ; i. e., the action, or influence of one mind upon 
that of another. There are Four kinds or phases of 
psychological impressions, viz. : 

1. By God's spirit, or influence. 

2. By angels, good or bad. 

3. By mankind, good or bad. 

4. By animals; but by " disembodied spirits, never. 
We present to our readers a few interesting examples 

of impressions which have occurred in the experience 
of childhood, youth, maturity and old age. 

We clipped the following paragraph from the Banner 
of Light, April 16, 1887 : 

FORETOLD THE DATE OF HER DEATH. 

The Hartford Times, of April 2d, informs its readers that one 
of those mysterious forewarnings of approaching death, which 
are as numerous as they are impressive, has just culminated in 
the passing away, in that city, on the day predicted, of Mrs. 
Roxy Alvord, wife of the late Truman Woodford, aged ninety- 
four. 

A few months ago Mrs. Woodford, while in good health, re- 
ceived a strong impression that she would die on the first day 
19 



290 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of April, and so informed her daughter, with whom she lived. 
So strong was this impression that she wished to communicate 
with relatives in other cities, from whom she had not heard for 
a long time ; but before any word was sent letters were received 
from the very persons mentioned, they apparently being guided 
by the same mysterious intelligence. Mrs. Woodford also ar- 
ranged for the payment of the interest money due about the 
time of her expected death. She continued in good health for 
one of her age, but was firm in her belief of the truth of her 
forewarning. 

We are satisfied that the " impression " named in 
this narrative was made by an angel. To say that 
there was collusion among the friends, herself included, 
to effect such an occurrence, would be absurd, as well 
as cruel. We notice, 

First. That the old lady was impressional. 

Second. That her impression was correct. 

Third. That it did not terrify her. 

Fourth. That it served her a good purpose, since she 
improved the opportunity, more or less, of "putting 
her house in order." Hence, we conclude it was the 
ministration of a good angel. Had an evil angel done 
this, he would have been likely to prompt the old lady 
or her friends to make sure of her demise on the day 
to which her attention was called, which idea is a long 
remove from the nature of the case, as related in the 
account given. It was, doubtless, a presentiment, or 
premonition. 

The following may be found in the Banner of Light, 
under date of Feb. 19, 1887 : 

STRANGE KNOWLEDGE OF A FATHER'S DEATH. 

A curious instance of premonition is related in the case of 
Isaac Mush rush, one of the victims of the boiler explosion at 
Thompson's mill. He lived at Geneva, with his wife and one 
child. On Sunday he was much depressed, and told his wife 
that he feared some great calamity. She tried to cheer him up. 
At 2 o'clock on Monday the explosion occurred and he was 
killed. At the same hour before it was possible for the news of 



ITS PHENOMENA. 291 

the explosion to reach Geneva, his little child, playing in the 
yard, ran into the house, crying as if her heart would break, 
and exclaiming : " Oh ! my papa is killed, my papa is killed ! " 
— Pittsburg (Pa.) Times. 

In this very brief statement of the case, few details 
are given whereby we might form a probable opinion 
concerning the source of the intelligence that impressed 
the man's mind with the impending calamity which 
occurred on the next day. God, by His Spirit, might 
do it, or He might send an angel to do it, as in thou- 
sands of other cases, known and unknown to man. 
Our own experience with the demons affords us some 
evidence of their ability to forecast the future to a 
greater extent than man can do, because of their greater 
knowledge of physical, metaphysical and moral things. 

Rather than be too conceited and assuming, let us 
suppose certain things which are allowed to fall within 
the limits of physical and metaphysical possibilities, 
and also their relation to each other. We therefore 
suggest that a demon knew the subject of our quotation, 
and that he knew the unsafe condition of the boiler, 
near which the man constantly labored ; that it was 
then but a question of days before it would explode 
and be very likely to kill him ; that though he had 
this superhuman knowledge, yet he did not have Al- 
mighty wisdom, by which he could foretell the day on 
which the explosion would occur, as was the case with 
the old lady previously noticed. 

Here we again behold the difference (in a measure) 
between evil angels who have an angel's power only 
and good angels who may have & portion of Almighty 
wisdom and power delegated to them at any time, and 
thus enable them under divine authority to fulfil all 
of God's designs, even to the utter extinction of every 
demon who may be aping "disembodied spirits," and 
thus deceiving many. 



292 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Continuing our suggestion, we will suppose that the 
demon would, if conditions were favorable, save the 
man from harm at this time; but as he only succeeded 
in making a partial impression upon him, it worried 
him, but it did not save him. His little child was 
more impressible or mediumistic, and received the no- 
tice of his death, by impression, while at play. We 
judge that the wife was not particularly mediumistic. 
We think our suggestion covers or accounts for these 
psychological impressions. 

It may now be asked, " Why do you suppose that a 
demon might interest himself in saving a man from 
death, seeing that you charge them with seeking man's 
destruction?" We answer, demons do not always say 
and do wrong — their leader told two truths to one lie 
in Eden, and the policy was sound enough to bring 
absolute death upon the human family, then present, 
and also prospective ; but Christ will, in due time, 
give life to each one, while he that deceived them to 
their death will himself go into that condition, not to 
be released from its grasp while eternity remains a 
fact! See Heb. 2 : 10, and Rev. 20 : 14. 

We find, now, that it is sometimes good policy for 
Satan and " his angels " as well, to tell the truth, and 
even to do good. They do this to further their plans 
for ultimately securing man's destruction. Had a 
good angel undertaken to save the husband and parent 
in the brief narrative we have considered, there would 
have been no failure ; and yet we are not wise enough 
to say that it is not for the best as it now is. 

The author's former wife, when about seventeen 
years of age, went from Great Falls, N. H., to Dover 
to visit her grandmother, Burnham, and also her 
cousin's grandmother, Whittier, who was an aunt to 
J. G. Whittier, the well-known poet. The two old 
ladies occupied a sleeping-room adjoining that of their 



ITS PHENOMENA. 293 

young visitor. On the third night of her visit, when 
all had retired for rest, the moon shone into Miss 
" Mary's " room, making it somewhat light, and the 
open door allowed her to hear the grandmothers talk- 
ing in their room, when she saw (as she thought) 
" grandmother Whittier " standing at the foot of her 
bed, in her night-clothes, with one hand on the "high 
post " of the bed, and looking downward as if in a 
study. 

The awkwardness of hearing the old ladies chatting 
cheerily together in their room, when one of them was, 
apparently, standing in her room was very embarrassing 
to the young lady; but she quickly asked, "Have you 
lost something, grandmother ? " Instantly the form 
vanished from her sight ! Her grandmother, hearing 
her voice, asked, "What do you want, Mary?" Not 
wishing to explain then, she answered, " Nothing, 
now," and was then left to her own reflections. 

The strange occurrence worried her, and although 
she had come to stay two or three weeks, hoping to 
recruit her health on the farm, she arose on the next 
morning, and expressed her strong desire to return 
home at once. As she did not give the reason for her 
request, the family thought it a case of " homesick- 
ness," and in disappointment, and under protest, the 
carriage was ordered, and she was driven to Great 
Falls. Arriving home, she told the story of the appa- 
rition, when her aunt Hattie said, u Grandmother Whit- 
tier will die ! " On the next day, when the familiar 
carriage was seen approaching, the errand was antici- 
pated — the good old lady, though in her usual health, 
had suddenly, but peacefully, breathed her last! 
When bidding her young friend " good-bye " on the day 
before, she said, "I will never see you again, Mary? 
which proved true. 

Circumstances connected with this case point us to 



294 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the conclusion that a good angel — a " ministering 
spirit " — was " sent forth to minister," or prepare the 
way for those good and loving friends, and such are 
never called "human spirits" in the most reliable 
writings on the subject. The apparition was an im- 
pression made on the mind of the beholder by the an- 
gel, and that the impression of the fact of approaching 
demise was made upon the mind of the old lady by the 
same ministering angel we have not a reasonable 
doubt. 

In 1860 our little daughter Nellie became very sick, 
but, as we judged, "not unto death." One evening, 
while the family were attending to nothing save the 
sick one, she said, feebly, " I'm dying." Doubting our 
ears, we asked, " What, Nellie ? " Again she said, 
feebly, u Tm dying!" On examination under more 
light, we saw it was a fact, and she died in half an 
hour! How did she know this in advance of her 
friends who were caring for her, since she had never 
seen a person die ? Ah ! it was an impression made 
upon the mind of the child by an angel who was " sent 
to minister " to us in our affliction, to give useful in- 
formation, and to modify the action of Death, into 
whose hands the loved one had fallen. 

We come now to notice the case of little Ethel Rose 
Graham, who died in Philadelphia on March 14, 1887, 
aged eight years and five months. She was the daugh- 
ter of Rev. Alfred Graham, D. D., and Alice, his wife, 
who now mourn the loss of an only child. Ethel was 
a remarkably gifted child. The unfoldings of her mind 
as a young Christian scholar were little less than aston- 
ishing, she being far in advance of her age. Like hun- 
dreds of others who had listened to her fine recitations 
and sweet songs, we " knew her only to love her." 

Her illness was short, and apparently not severe. 
On Saturday she surprised her friends by saying, "/ 



ITS PHENOMENA. 295 

shall die on Monday." On Sunday she did not appear 
very sick, and late in the evening she suddenly yet 
unwittingly tested the strength of the " heart-strings " 
of her parents as she said, " Papa, Good-bye," in a 
sweet-toned, loving, and, alas ! — a last adieu ! She died 
on the following morning at 8.30 ! 

This is a clear case of premonition of death. By 
whom was it given ? By " disembodied human spirits?" 
This is impossible, since they do not exist. Was it an- 
gelic intelligence ? Yes. From evil angels, or demons ? 
NO. But if not, wh v not ? Because the circumstances 
connected with the case combine against such a con- 
clusion. All of the parties were devoted Christians, 
and were particularly opposed to the theory and »vork 
of evil angels, and, moreover, the premonition was di- 
rect, and also, definite ! Death occurred promptly on 
the day predicted — in the morning of the day, as it was 
in the morning of Ethel's life. Evil angels cannot with 
certainty predict such occurrences, since the privilege 
of exercising such wisdom and power was taken from 
them when they were " cast out " of their " first estate." 
They often attempt it, as we have illustrated by inci- 
dents related in this work, proving them not reliable. 

We conclude that a good angel, an " holy one " takes 
charge in cases like the one above noted, and though 
he cannot annul the decree of death which is upon 
them, he can kindly inform them of it ; and although 
the executioner (Death) is allowed to do his work, the 
angel can make them quite insensible to the process, 
as well as to the inward grief of their friends. We 
believe without a reasonable doubt, that if a man was 
properly bred and born, and lived a proper life that 
ended with a natural death, he would suffer nothing in 
dying. 

If, when we reach that point of time in our history 
when " desire fails " — What is that ? Why, it is when 



296 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

love of life ceases; when we relinquish our hold on 
life, i. e., give up. Then, if we can truthfully say 
that we " have fought a good fight, and have kept the 
faith," a holy angel will make the process of dying not 
only bearable, but more enjoyable than the average 
days of life ; and this, too, in spite of the fact, which 
Prof. Hitchcock proves, that life is an average blessing ! 

It having been our lot to witness the process of dying 
in the cases of infants, children, parents, and grand- 
parents, and among them the Infidel, the Scoffer, the 
indifferent, the Spiritualist, and the devoted Christian ; 
and having studied them, we feel free to offer the radi- 
cal remarks which we have made. Indeed, we cannot 
forbear the exclamation, Oh, how cheap does the " hu- 
man spirit" theory appear, when compared with the 
Bible position, and with facts so far as we know them ! 

We claim that the foregoing sentiments are reason- 
able, when viewed in the light of Scripture and facts, 
and therefore should be a consolation to godly people 
who are naturally timid and of a doubting cast of mind. 
To those who reject Bible teachings this proposition 
will not apply, since they are known to be more or less 
exercised by that fear "which hath torment," and 
although least prepared for death they are the first to 
seek it, and thus many die unpardoned criminals, as the 
daily journals abundantly prove ! 

Now, Radical Ghostman is anxious to ask, " Why do 
you declaim against Spiritualism, which all admit is 
sustained by mediumship, only, while you admit im- 
pressional mediumship — intelligence communicated by 
impressions upon the mind — as well in Christian expe- 
rience as in Modern Spiritualism ? " 

The question by our imaginary typical reader is 
particularly pertinent, proper, and profitable, since it 
quickly brings truth to bear upon the topic in ques- 



ITS PHENOMENA. 297 

tion. There is but one reason for our course, and of 
course, it is a moral one. 

All intelligence which claims to come from disembodied 
spirits, whether through impressional or other medium- 
ship, even if they sign their messages with " Christ," 
or " Paul," or " Luther," or the dead "Andover Pro- 
fessors," will, when put to the test, deny the teachings 
of the Bible. This is Demon-Magnetism, as an opera- 
tion, and is the real basis of Spiritualism. It is not 
"human trickery," but it is a demoniacal deception, 
that is truly wonderful as a success. 

Contrariwise, all intelligence, though unwritten in 
the teachings of the Bible, yet coming from God, from 
Christ, or from angels, is direct in all cases, and it will 
in no case teach otherwise ; and all intelligence 

WHICH WE HAVE, OR MAY OBTAIN FROM PROPHETS OR 
APOSTLES, WAS GIVEN WHILE THEY WERE LIVING ON THE 

earth ! They never claimed that any of their knowledge 
or theories ever came from the " spirits " of dead men ; 
neither did they teach that they or others ever would 
get it from that source ; and their teachings, as Bible 
authority, are the practical standard of morals, even to 
their enemies : and they always make men better — 
not worse. 

It may be well to repeat the fact that the possession 
of mediumistic qualities does not necessarily make a 
person a Spiritualist ; neither does it deprive any one 
of the privilege of being a Christian in the true sense 
of the term. Susceptibility of psychological impres- 
sions, which in keenness amounts to a gift, is possessed 
by persons who belong to either system, and they are 
properly impressional mediums. Those belonging to 
the former system are deceived more or less by evil 
angels who seek man's destruction, while adherents to 
the latter system are directed by good angels, who seek 
man's eternal salvation. They all may be known by 



298 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the test already noted. The nature of this general 
though greatly diversified gift of mental receptivity 
should be better understood, and always governed by 
pure moral principle. 

Inspirational speaking is that in which the mind 
of the medium is more or less held under control of 
another mind, or intelligence, so that he may " exceed 
himself" in his Wonderful freedom in the use of eloquent 
diction which unfolds richness of thought, and wisdom 
in fact. This, as in other phases of mediumship, may 
be done to effect good or evil, according to the charac- 
ter of the directing power or intelligence which controls 
the medium. 

The following question and answer at a regular 
seance held in the Banner of Light office, may be found 
in that paper under date of Nov. 7, 1885 : 

Ques. — What is it that makes a person a medium ? 

Arts. — Mediums are those who are specially sensitive. A per- 
son, to be an inspirational speaker, or a trance medium for the 
transmission of general information, is one who requires to be 
peculiarly developed in the perceptive faculties ; one whose 
brain is easily controlled by spirit-power, and who possesses 
general sensitiveness of mental organization. . . 

By substituting angel for " spirit," in " spirit-power," 
we have a perfect definition of Inspirational, Trance 
and Clairvoyant, as well as Impressional mediumship, 
so far as special qualities in the mediums are concerned. 
" Inspiration " produces so much eloquence in the speech 
of many lecturers that it is the reason why many persons 
go again and again to hear what they have but little 
sympathy with. When w T e admit the superior knowl- 
edge of angels, it is quite easy to account for man's 
eloquence when inspired by them. Thus, when an im- 
pressive thought is flashed upon the mind, and it is 
quickly and successively followed by others, that glow 



ITS PHENOMENA. 299 

with wisdom which the speaker or writer cannot claim 
as a pre-possession, we call it inspiration, and it often is 
eloquence as well. 

We clipped the following from a seance report in the 
Banner of Light, Sept. 5, 1885. It gives a philosoph- 
ical explanation of " spirit" communications, partic- 
ularly when the message is spoken or written in a 
language which is foreign to and unknown by the 
medium ; and which fact is a fatal blow to the " hum- 
bug" theory. The answer here given is philosoph- 
ically correct, without doubt. Indeed, if angel was 
substituted for " spirit," in this article, it would explain 
the phenomena of Modern Spiritualism so clearly and 
correctly, that it would successfully stand the test of 
true philosophy and Bible theology. It is as follows : 

Ques. — [By William Erspenmuller.] Can a spirit of foreign 
nationality, who has never learned the English language, com- 
municate through an English-speaking medium? 

Ans. — Yes ; it is not necessary for the spirit to understand 
the language used by the medium in order that it may commu- 
nicate to mortal friends, for spirits exercise a psychological 
power over mediums when they wish to control them. If a 
foreign spirit, so to speak, comes in contact with a medium, who 
is thoroughly adapted to its use, so that it may control all her 
organs, not only the brain but the vocal organs, it will be able to 
express itself in the language that it formerly employed when 
on earth, even though its medium understand nothing of that 
language. But you say it is seldom that a spirit finds a 
medium thoroughly adapted to its purpose, and it may be so. 
Spirits communicate with each other by thought, paying but 
little attention to the drapery which you call language. A 
spirit coming in contact with a medium will be able to 
transcribe or impress its thought upon the sensorium of her 
brain, and you may receive a communication in English from 
one who never understood that language on earth, but which 
will identify the spirit's personality to you beyond the shadow 
of a doubt. Thought everywhere is the same, although the 
modes of its expression may differ in various countries. 

Wishing to be candid and just in criticism, and 



300 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

honest with self as well, we will admit that the very 
ambiguous phrase, " a foreign spirit," in the answer, is 
identical with " a spirit of foreign nationality," in the 
question preceding it, and that by it is meant " the 
thinking part of man," usually called the " immortal 
soul." Believing that we have shown the fallacy as 
well as the unholy origin of this theory, we will utilize 
the suggestion we made in our introduction of the 
quotation, when the clause will read, " a foreign " angel, 
u so to speak." This, too, is ambiguous, but much less 
so, since angels do exist 

The clause, " so to speak," is suggestive. It suggests 
supposition or pretence. If supposition, then the posi- 
tion is not proven, hence, speculative, and therefore 
not practical. If it be pretence, we may consider it a 
moment. We soon learn that the angel must be an 
evil one, because he is not only pretending to be what 
he is not, but he is engaged in supporting the Serpent- 
to-Eve doctrine of natural immortality, which good 
angels never do. However, he, having an angel's 
knowledge and power, could magnetize the medium and 
will her to speak French or Spanish, or any language 
that would suit the case, and, having good memory, 
could furnish facts to make it as convincing as it would 
be astounding to those unlearned in simple Bible 
teachings. 

If we use the word angel in the article as suggested, 
and read the second sentence as follows, it will make 
the real agency apparent, and also its character : 

" If " an evil " spirit " (angel) " comes in contact with a 
medium who is thoroughly adapted to his use, so that he may 
control her brain and vocal organs, he will be able to express 
himself through his medium in the language of the ' foreign ' 
person when alive, ' even though the medium understand 
nothing of that language.' " 



ITS PHENOMENA. 301 

We think it must now be plain to our readers that 
all phases of real phenomena known to Spiritualism 
can be fully accounted for by the Bible theory of 
angels, and not otherwise. 

When Christians are confronted with the assertion 
that "the Bible is full of mediumship" they should 
not be disturbed by it, but answer, " There is much of 
it, good and evil; we accept the good and reject the 
evil, which is easily known when the Christ test is 
applied ! " The title of Demon Magnetism will then 
be seen to fit the phenomena produced by evil-angelic 
inspiration. 

TRANCE MEDIUMSHIP, 

like other similar manifestations, is developed through 
certain peculiar physical and mental organizations. It 
may be induced by either one of several causes, known 
or unknown to the subject, and may assume different 
phases, according to the nature of each particular case. 
It is not natural sleep, though it may appear like it. 
It may make the subject more or less visionary, and in 
some cases a flood of ideas will find expression in vol- 
umes of eloquent diction for hours, so as nearly to 
entrance the hearers. And whence comes all this 
eloquence ? In view of evidence and argument already 
presented, we feel free to answer, and say that the 
directing intelligence is either human, divine, or angel- 
ical (good or bad). As usually manifested, it is, with- 
out doubt, demon magnetism. 

We clipped the following question and answer from 
the regular seance report as published in the Banner 
of Light, May 19, 1888. As it purports to come from 
" spirit-land," and is confined to the subject of trance 
mediumship, it will be interesting to many who would 
not otherwise see it, and the more so, because it is 



302 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

unusually well given from that source. It is as fol- 
lows : [Italics are ours.] 

" Q. — What becomes of the spirit of the medium while he is 
in a trance ? Would it be possible for the spirit of the medium 
to visit foreign localities, like Europe, and when it returns to 
the body to describe accurately places and things which it had 
never seen while in the body ? 

"A. — The spirit of one medium, who seems to be in the trance 
state, and is so to all intents and purposes, may not pass out 
from direct contact with his physical body for a moment ; he 
may be so closely allied to the external as to remain in associa- 
tion with it even while his organism and brain are used by a 
foreign spirit for the purpose of manifestation. The spirit of 
such a medium might remain in a fully conscious state, realiz- 
ing what is being said through his organism, and knowing 
something of what is taking place in his surroundings, and yet 
be unable to check the flow of language that proceeds through 
his lips, or to even realize what is to be the next sentence fol- 
lowing one which has just been spoken. The spirit of such a 
medium.^ fully alive and alert to all that is passing, while at the 
same time unable to interfere with the work of the operating 
spirits." 

Please read this paragraph again and notice that 
"foreign spirit," and "operating spirit," is the con- 
trolling " spirit " which prompts the "flow of language " 
through the medium's organs of speech, and which, we 
believe, is a demon who is deceiving the medium ! 
But the idea of the medium's " spirit " hanging around, 
or " being allied " to her while another " spirit " (demon) 
was using her " organism and brain," will not stand 
the test of common sense nor of the Bible, therefore 
we are not sure that it is a fact ; especially, as we have 
elsewhere proved that such "spirits" sometimes tell 
foolish falsehoods, and hence are not reliable. But the 
" spirit " continues : 

"Another medium, also in the trance state, yielding his organism 
to the use of returning spirits, may pass into a magnetic slumber, 
through which he is very dimly conscious, perhaps, of what is 



ITS PHENOMENA. 303 

taking place around him, but having no interest in it and 
realizing nothing of its purport after he has returned to his normal 
condition. Such a medium is overshadowed by the spirit 
intelligence, his mind and thought subjected to that of the 
operating spirit, and he is quietly recuperating his forces in the 
magnetic state, which is one of pleasantness and peace." 

In this paragraph the "spirit" (demon) describes 
another phase of trance mediumship. It should be 
noticed that in the former case the medium was con- 
scious, though " unable to interfere with the work of 
the operating spirits." In the latter case the medium 
was unconscious, or, if conscious, the incidents pertain- 
ing to the trance were effaced from her memory at the 
end of it, since she could remember nothing. Con- 
tinuing, the " spirit " says : 

Yet another trance medium, while in this superior condition, 
so called, may be utterly unconscious of what is taking place 
around him ; his spirit may pass out from contact with the mor- 
tal organism, holding connection with it only by a slender cord 
of magnetic force, which cord is never completely severed until 
the spirit yields up the control of its body and takes up its 
abode in the other world ; but at such a moment, when the or- 
ganism of the unconscious trance medium is used by the manifest- 
ing spirits, the spirit of the subject may pass out into other lo- 
calities, even visiting foreign lands, and coming in contact there 
with strange people and passing events, and if it meets any per- 
son sufficiently adapted to its use, and negative to its influence, 
then may it attach itself to that individual, and see clearly the 
surrounding objects, and even communicate, perhaps, with 
mortals in that far-off land. This has been done, and it may 
be accomplished at any time when such a medium is brought 
under the influence of excarnated spirits. On returning to the 
physical body, if the spirit has not been affected in his passage 
by adverse magnetisms and dense atmospheres, he will retain a 
memory of what has passed before him during his absence, and 
on awakening to his external surroundings he may relate what 
he has seen, felt and experienced while his body was used by 
the foreign intelligence. [Italics are ours.] 

This, the concluding paragraph of the article under 



304 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

consideration, is much like the first one, except that it 
is much more so ! It is somewhat amusing to anticipate 
the remarks of different persons when reading this 
part of the philosophy of trance mediumship, as quoted ; 
and many students will find themselves so much more 
than waist deep in metaphysics that they will need an 
open Bible to lead them out where things appear what 
they really are! A creed-bound and dogma-clasped 
Bible can never do it ; but if they will accept Bible 
teachings and known facts concerning man and angels, 
and admit the fact that the organ or faculty of mem- 
ory is erratic under certain circumstances, they will 
soon gain solid ground and clear light to support their 
conclusions. 

Moreover, it would meet and readily dispose of the 
entire phalanx of " Double Consciousness " theories 
which are racking the minds and wrecking the brains 
of many thoughtful but skeptical people. They do 
not readily see that such theories are, altogether, a 
no-accountability trick of Satan, which, when accepted, 
points to destruction. 

In the case last mentioned by the "spirit," it is 
plain to the author that the directing power, or operat- 
ing force, is a demon. He can lock the idea storehouse 
(memory) for a time, and during that time can direct 
the other faculties, which, when active, result in mind, 
or systematic thought. The demon can direct this 
current of thought upon "foreign lands and strange 
people," while consciousness portrays them on memory's 
tablet, and they can be reproduced at the will of the 
demon, or directing power. 

CLAIRVOYANCE 

means clear-seeing, and, indeed, far-seeing as well. It 
is a very important factor in Spiritualism, and we ask 



ITS PHENOMENA. 305 

Candid Reader and Honest Skeptic to read carefully 
the facts and thoughts which we may present to them 
for consideration, touching this subject. We have else- 
where shown that Human Magnetism may introduce 
Clairvoyance ; and that at this point, in some cases, 
human effort ceases. Demons may now take charge 
of the mediums; hence, we have named it Demon 
magnetism, it being distinct from human magnetism 
above named. 

We have an acquaintance in Philadelphia, whose 
experience in 1847 — one year before Modern Spirit- 
ualism was known — confirms the statement we have 
made. He had magnetized a patient for the cure of 
physical ailments, which after several " treatments " or 
sittings were proving successful, when, one day during 
a sitting, he suddenly lost all control of his patient or 
subject. 

She immediately became clairvoyant and, apparently,, 
visited other houses, some of them many miles away. 
Soon, she seemed to return, and then describe them 
and their occupants accurately, as correspondence by 
mail afterward proved. 

In that rare and valuable work, " Mesmerism and 
Magic Eloquence," written by Professor J. Stanley 
Grimes, we find on page 36 the following paragraph : 

Clairvoyance, or vicarious sensation, is caused by impressions 
forcing their way from external objects to Consciousness, through 
extraordinary and vicarious avenues, in opposition to the in- 
sulating preventives. 

Again, he says on page 165 : 

Clairvoyance, or uninsulated perception, is 'produced by the 
process of induction overcoming insulation. 

When the subject, without the aid of his senses, by his 
connection with the operator, perceives the same things which 
20 



306 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

are perceived by the operator, it is perception by sympathy ; 
but when the subject, without the aid of his senses, perceives 
that which is not perceived by the operator, it is Clairvoyance. 



By "insulating preventives," is meant, those wise 
contrivances of man's Maker, by which the means or 
media of communication between the " phreno," or 
" Voluntary organs " of the brain and consciousness, its 
central organ, are prevented from receiving influences 
or impressions from any source or point, except in the 
" voluntary organs" just noted. When this order of 
things is demoralized, or broken up, Prof. Grimes 
believes that Consciousness may receive impressions 
direct from beings or things, and which, of course, may 
be true or false, right or wrong, morally speaking; 
and "this," he says, "is Clairvoyance," or "unin- 
sulated perception." 

If this theory is correct (and we cannot dispute it) 
we can readily see what an opportunity would thus be 
offered to demons pretending to be human spirits, to 
take possession of the mind, and " control " the person, 
as we have stated. Of course, this is easily, and usually 
done by demons without Human Magnetism as an 
introduction. 

It is remarkable that Prof. Grimes taught this (his 
own) theory of Consciousness and Clairvoyance, before 
Modern Spiritualism was known, inasmuch as it was 
not in disagreement with Bible teachings, but his 
philosophy of the human brain and mind was such as 
to make it easier to account for all real phenomena 
belonging to Spiritualism, by comparing known facts 
relating to them, with Scripture accounts and instruc- 
tions. 

On further thought upon this important part of the 
main subject, we have concluded to favor our readers 
with a more lengthy quotation from Prof. Grimes' 



ITS PHENOMENA. 307 

work, wherein he further explains the theories we have 
already quoted. We do this, partly because the most 
of our readers will not have the privilege of seeing his 
book, on account of its scarcity. We have authority 
for stating that one of them was sold in Boston, many 
years ago, for Five dollars, and another in Philadelphia 
for Ten dollars; and Samuel P. Hull, in that city, 
actually refused Forty dollars which was offered by the 
agent of a certain lecturer, for his copy of the work, 
but he allowed him to come to his house and read it 
for one dollar per hour ! From page 18 we reprint the 
following paragraph, which explains the term, " Ethe- 
rium," as used in the next quotation and elsewhere in 
his work : 

Inference. — There is a material substance occupying space, 
which connects the planets and the earth, and which commu- 
nicates light, heat, electricity, gravitation and mental emotion, 
from one body to another, and from one mind to another. 

Name. — I shall denominate this substance Etherium. 

The following is a reprint from page 171 to the end 
of Section XI., and treats upon Clairvoyance : 

The mode in which the organs normally produce Con- 
sciousness, after they are impressed by emanations from external 
objects, must be understood in order to enable us to understand 
Clairvoyance. 

They produce Consciousness precisely in the same way in 
Clairvoyance as they do in ordinary normal perception. The 
difference between Clairvoyant perception and common normal 
perception is in the manner in which the Phreno-organs are 
excited by the emanation ; or rather it depends upon the 
different modes by which emanations reach the Phreno-organs 
to excite them to action. In common perception the motion of 
Etherium is restricted to pass in certain prescribed avenues, 
which we denominate the senses; but in Clairvoyance, in con- 
sequence of the insulation being overcome, the emanation 
passes directly to the brain through the skull, or through the 
feet, or hands, or sides, or through any other part where the 
insulation is especially weakened. 



308 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

In common perception, the emanation is permitted to reach 
the brain only through certain limited, defined, and restricted 
avenues or senses ; and even through these passages the pure 
and unencumbered motions of Etherium do not seem to be 
allowed to pass. 

In the sense of taste, the motion of Etherium is conveyed to 
the external organ by a liquid which dissolves the substance 
tasted. In the sense of smell, the motions are conveyed by 
currents of air, which are adulterated, or mingled with atoms 
of the odorous substance perceived. In the sense of hearing, 
the emanation is conveyed in pulsations or vibrations of air. 
In the sense of sight, the emanation is conveyed or moved by 
currents, pulsations, or rays of light. 

But in Clairvoyance, the brain seems to be excited by Ethe- 
rium in a different state — by emanations which are ordinarily 
excluded by insulation — and which are introduced in opposi- 
tion to the insulating guards. When this more pure emanation 
is fairly introduced, and a current of it caused to proceed from a 
distant object to the subject, it passes directly through the skull, 
or some other abnormal passages, and reaches the organs of 
Form and Color, etc., and excites them so as to cause them to 
product a state of Consciousness, the same as if the subject had 
seen the distant object with his eyes. 

I wish the idea to be distinctly understood, that Conscious- 
ness and perception of every kind is, in all cases, produced by 
the Phreno-organs of the brain ; that in common perception 
and in Clairvoyance the brain operates in the same manner. 
In both cases the Phreno-organs must be excited, and must per- 
form their functions, before perception can take place. It is a 
great error to suppose that in Clairvoyance a person can 
perceive without his brain, because he perceives without his 
senses. It is absurd to suppose that a person perceives color 
without the organ of Color, because he perceives without his eyes. 

In order, then, to explain Clairvoyance, it is only necessary 
to admit that the Phreno-organs of perception may be excited 
through other avenues than the external senses. 

According to this explanation, Clairvoyance is no more mys- 
terious than any other phenomenon of Etheropathy or Mes- 
merism. Many persons are willing to admit that sleep may be 
produced by the inducting process, but deny Clairvoyance as 
impossible; but it will now be perceived that it requires no new 
principle to explain Clairvoyance after the etherean or mesmeric 
sleep is admitted ; for sleep, and sympathy, and Clairvoyance 
are produced in the same way, by the same agent and the same 
process applied to different objects. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 309 

The inquiry will naturally arise, u Why did not the Creator 
endow us all with the powers of Clairvoyance? Why should 
such a wonderful power be withheld from the most perfect and 
healthy men, and yet be occasionally bestowed upon some 
weak and debilitated individual ? " To my mind, the reason is 
obvious. 

The Creator has placed us in a situation where a certain 
amount of knowledge is necessary to enable us to perform our 
duties, and he has bestowed upon us organs so contrived as to 
enable us to acquire this knowledge with ease, provided we 
make a proper use of the means which he has placed within 
our reach, and the powers which he has bestowed upon us. A 
greater amount of knowledge, instead of being a blessing, would 
be injurious, and it is withheld from us in mercy: every animal 
in existence will be found to have the means of acquiring 
knowledge enough to harmonize with his condition, and to en- 
able him to satisfy his wants. More knowledge would be an 
embarrassment. 

Suppose that a man could hear every movement which takes 
place not only on the earth, but in the most distant of the in- 
numerable planets ; and suppose he could see every thing in ex- 
istence; would it not be a source of inconceivable annoyance? 
Would it not render his life a burden? I do not doubt that an 
omniscient man would be utterly miserable. It is enough for 
us, then, that we are so organized, that by making an industri- 
ous use of our powers, we can learn all that is necessary for us 
to know in order to enable us to fulfil our destiny according to 
the designs of the Supreme Creator. 

But still you will ask, why the power of Clairvoyance is be- 
stowed upon some persons. I answer, that Clairvoyance is 

THE RESULT OF WEAKNESS. It IS IN ITSELF A SPECIES OF DIS- 
EASE, and, like all other diseases, it is a violation of the natural 
laws of the constitution. It was never intended by the Creator, 
so far as his intention is indicated in the organization of man, 
that such a power should be possessed by man ; for, instead of 
making any provision for it (as he would, doubtless, have done, 
if he had designed it), the Creator has ordained a most wonder- 
ful series of regulations to prevent it. 

By insulating the organs, and giving them limits and restric- 
tions, he has virtually said to each of them, Thus far shalt thou 
go with propriety, and produce happiness, but no farther. 
Clairvoyance is an overleaping of the bounds to reach the for- 
bidden fruit of the tree of prohibited knowledge. 

My object in making these remarks is not to prevent any one 
from making use of this means oi acquiring knowledge, but to 



310 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

convey a clear expression of the view which I take of the real 
nature of Clairvoyance, and to rebut the absurd doctrine, which 
has lately been advanced, that Clairvoyance depends upon a 
peculiar organ, which was bestowed upon man for that very 
purpose. 

Concerning the unreliability of Clairvoyance, Prof. 
Grimes says : 

If a subject be clairvoyant, and in that state gives advice and 
prescribes medicine, I would recommend you to apply to 
a physician and get his consent before following the direction 
of the clairvoyant." — P. 251. 

This testimony, so modestly and candidly reduced 
to simple advice, is the more valuable, because it was 
written before the advent of Modern Spiritualism, which 
naturally owes much to Clairvoyance. The correctness 
of the Professor's position has been proved in this, as in 
all otner phases of Demon Magnetism. 

We give the following quotation, as we find it in our 
scrap-book where we placed it, Thirty years ago. We 
think it was taken from a Boston paper, and it is as 
follows : 

A " Spirit " speaking through Mrs. Laura Cuppy, in Lyceum 
Hall, Boston, Nov. 8, 1863, as reported in the Banner of Light, 
on the Twenty-first of the same month, says : 

We would say here that the power of foreseeing future events 
is limited in all cases, and is limited by certain conditions. We 
see certain causes, and see the effects which will be the natural 
results of those causes ; but something may interpose to change 
the whole course of events. . . . We ask you, therefore, to 
take our utterances for what they are worth, and no more. 
We are not able to give you positive intelligence ; but can 
give you the probable results of certain purposes. [Capitals 
are ours.] 

This is an admission of all that we claim in this 
direction, and is from head-quarters, as claimed. 

The following concession is from that able Spiritualist 



ITS PHENOMENA. 311 

Robert Dale Owen, who was so honest as to be willing 
to " swear to his own hurt " — to use scripture language. 
It may be found in his " Footfalls on the Boundary of 
another World," p. 178. Speaking of some discrepan- 
cies between certain dreams and their apparent fulfil- 
ment, he says : 

Instructive inaccuracies these, not in the least invalidating the 
proofs which exist independently of them, but teaching us that, 
even through an agency such as we have been accustomed to call 
supernatural, truth may come to us mingled with error ; and that 
Clairvoyance, even the most remarkable, is, at best, uncertain 
and fallible." (Italics are ours.) 

At this point the author " files to the rear " that 
Professor Grimes may again step to the front. Hear 
him from page 190 : 

Do you ask me why there need be so many failures ? why, if 
Clairvoyance succeeded yesterday, it should fail to-day ? I an- 
swer frankly, that I do not know ; I know the fact only, and I 
say that a thousand failures do not disprove one instance of 
suecess. 

The wonder to me is, not that there should be failures, but 
that there should ever be success. When I reflect that every 
successful experiment in Clairvoyance is a triumph over the 
laws of the constitution, and that creative wisdom has been 
displayed in preventing the success of such operations, I am 
by no means astonished that success is an exception and failure 
the general result. I am rather astonished that a single phe- 
nomenon of this character can be produced at all ; and were it 
not that I am forced to yield to irresistible evidence, I should 
be disposed to deny the truth of Clairvoyance altogether ; and, 
indeed, of all other Etheropathic phenomena. 

I advise no one to rely upon clairvoyant subjects in cases of 
disease ; but I would respectfully recommend to physicians to 
weigh their testimony candidly, and give it all the attention 
which it really deserves. Let it be borne in mind, that though 
sometimes astonishingly correct, they are oftener insanely 
romantic. 

Again we call the reader's attention to the fact that 



312 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the above paragraphs were printed in Professor Grimes' 
first edition, which was before the " birth " of Modern 
Spiritualism; so that he cannot be accused of "fixing 
it" up to suit Bible teachings which bear upon the 
Theory or its phenomena ; and the careful reader will 
take notice of the fact. We cannot forbear the re- 
mark, that his entire work, so prolific with deep thoughts 
and replete with instructive and important facts, is in 
keeping with the quotations we have presented in this 
work, and we wish you would read them again. 

CLAIRAUDIENT MEDIUMS 

are those who apparently hear talking, singing, music, 
and other sounds, when other persons who are near do 
not hear them. Such are impressional hearers, rather 
than speakers, and hence are called Clairaudient. Some 
persons are, at times, Clairaudient and Clairvoyant, 
also. Prof. Grimes says this is a result of weakness, 
which we can easily accept, when we are reminded that 
many persons of all ages, from childhood to old age, 
have in the physical weakness of their last hours been 
permitted, apparently, to see and hear things which 
were so glorious in their appearance and character, that 
the process of death was not realized. 

The presentation was to them a " far more exceed- 
ing" and enjoyable scene than had ever overspread 
their field of vision, which with the charming chimes 
of angelic melodies amounted to ecstasies ; but which 
must soon gradually recede from sight and hearing — 
the two senses weakening in exact proportion to the 
fading view of the scene, and the receding music soften- 
ing and lingering until the last sweet, dying tones had 
lulled the sense of hearing into that stillness which can- 
not be broken until the " thou shalt call and I will 
answer thee," of Job 14 : 15, shall have come to pass ! 



ITS PHENOMENA. 313 

This is the class of whom we said, They suffer 
nothing in dying ; and we have just shown that they 
may, while the process of death is going on, actually 
enjoy an ecstasy made hy divine influences through 
the ministration of the " angels of the Lord." But, 
remember that no willing suicide, or opposer of God, or 
of Bible teachings, ever had, nor will such an one ever 
have the privilege of thus enjoying his surrender of life 
into the hands of the common enemy! 

We saw a radical Spiritualist in Gloucester, Mass., 
who denounced the Bible and Christianity in his store. 
Afterward, when he was fatally hurt, we heard him 
call on God, three times, for mercy. Those who 
defame God and Christianity are apt to call on Him 
for mercy, or die in distress and moral horror — a sad 
scene to view, but far worse for one to realize. 

Now, Candid Reader and Honest Skeptic are quite 
well reconciled to our position, but Radical Ghostman 
earnestly declares that he never saw " Spiritualism " 
fail at death. To this, we answer again, that demons 
possess superhuman [but not divine] power, and, 
therefore, can and do produce phenomena that are 
wonderful, through their media, who have long been 
" controlled" by them; and they may imitate such as 
we have described, and thus deceive many, even at the 
hour of death. The test is always at hand, and is now 
familiar to our readers. 

HEALING THE SICK 

by Spiritual mediumship has been discussed, criticised 
and investigated in unstinted measure during the last 
Forty years, and is still a question in many minds. 
To exhaust the subject of healing would be to fill 
volumes. The power is claimed to be a gift to those 
who really are healing mediums, and it is, doubtless, 



314 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

true. They heal with and without medicines, and it 
would prove either ignorance or design on the part of 
any person who should deny it ; hence, the writer is 
ready to vouch for the following statement, as the case 
came under his personal notice. 

Having occasion to call a Physician to treat a child 
whose parents had exhausted " home talent " and means 
in their three days' effort to relieve it, we were delayed 
some twenty minutes, or less, and on taking another 
view before going on our errand, we found it lying on 
the lap of a "Spiritual Healing Medium." She had 
placed her hand upon the child's breast (under its 
clothes), and it was sleeping sweetly, while a gentle 
sweat was visible upon its face. Its fever had gone, and 
we did not call the doctor, as the child was cured ! No 
medicine was used in the case, nor any prayers said — 
audibly. 

This, undoubtedly, was a case of healing by Demon 
Magnetism ; good was done that evil might follow, as 
we have already shown. However, the object of the 
demon was not attained, as none in the family accepted 
the theory of Spiritualism. 

It is fair to conclude that many of the " Faith- 
cures," which are claimed to be scientific successes, are 
effected by the same power, and disguised by prayers I 
Nevertheless, this does not affect our firm belief that 
God's power has been, and may be, exercised in answer 
to effectual fervent prayers of those persons whose 
hearts and means are all placed at His disposal when 
wanted. Such persons, though really in disfavor — 
that sugar-coated word for disgrace — because they are 
poor, do not suffer much, since they constantly feel 
their son-ship, and have confidence in their heirship ! 
But healing power from this source is not much sought 
for in these days. 

The new reader at this point in our work will please 



ITS PHENOMENA. 316 

read the two preceding Topics with this one, and he 
will see that such wonderful healing operations may be 
done by demons, who, having superhuman wisdom and 
power, can do greater things than Human magnetism 
can perform ; and that their claims to be " disembodied 
human spirits " are as fraudulent as they are absurd ; 
there being no such " spirits " in Heaven or hell, unless 
we accept the statement made in Gen. 3 : 4, which, al- 
though being the only straight, solid text in any part 
of the Bible, on which Spiritualism could rest, Spirit- 
ualists NEVER quote it : and for an obvious reason — 
the Devil said it ! And, Candid Reader, let us kindly 
whisper in your ear, that no man, when discoursing 
upon or writing on immortality, ever quotes that text, 
and for the same reason ! 

MUSICAL AND SINGING MEDIUMS 

are those persons who perform on musical instruments 
or sing tunes which they have never learned, or, if 
they have learned them, can perform them unaccount- 
ably better when under " control " of " spirit " power. 

A writer in New Thought, as quoted in the Banner 
of Light, June 19, 1886, says of the Medium, Jesse 
Shepard : 

Mr. Shepard never sings of himself, never touches a piano 
save when he gives his entertainment. Suppose it is all Jesse 
Shepard, as some skeptics may claim. When we consider he 
never studied music, and never practices on any instrument, 
that he plays by request from any one of the old masters, and 
always with a style peculiar to the author, as is conceded by 
all musicians who hear him, it must be admitted, even if there 
were no inspiration in the modern sense, that Jesse Shepard is 
the most wonderful phenomenon ever known to the musical 
world. His music has converted hundreds to a belief in Spirit- 
ualism that could not be won by argument or physical mani- 
festations. 



316 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Again, a Providence, R. I., correspondent, of the 
Banner of Light — William Foster, Jr., under date of 
Nov. 7, 1885, says of the singing of Mrs. Addie M. 
Gage and Miss Lulu Billings, of Rochester, while in 
that city : 

Their control, as mediums, is so absolute and perfect that 
neither can tell what may have been sung or played when they 
return to their normal condition — their individuality is com- 
pletely sunk for the time being. The controls are mostly 
Spanish. This is another phase of mediumship which shows 
the power of the spirit, and the intense desire the denizens of 
the higher life have to make themselves known to those of 
earth. 



We need not now occupy space to argue the proposi- 
tion that angels, whether good or evil, have musical 
powers^ or that having them they may exercise them 
upon or through their mediums, while the evil ones 
claim to be the spirits of dead men or women, and 
hence are called demons. 

The following description of another class of medium- 
ship and phenomena is, we think, authentic ; and if so, 
we should not omit to notice it because it may be said 
to be a " tough story," for we have already said that 
we do not have to beg the question under considera- 
tion. We find the account in " Nineteenth Century 
Miracles," on pages 510-511. The author, Mrs. Brit- 
ten, says her " personal knowledge of the family who 
were the subjects of the following details, enables her 
to allege that the Williamsport talking spirit was lis- 
tened to by hundreds of curious visitors," and "cites 
the report of the Pennsylvania Bulletin of June 16, 
1859." We give a reprint from Mrs. Britten's book, 
as above quoted : 



ITS PHENOMENA. 317 

"TALKING SPIRITS." 

Williamsport has, through all times of excitement on Spirit- 
ualism, remained quiet and undisturbed. But our city is des- 
tined to have its share, even on this subject. 

We suppress names for the present, because the family do 
not wish to be troubled by being made the centre of curiosity, 
or to have people rushing in at all hours to learn the truth. 
The facts are briefly these : In the west ward of this city reside 
a quiet family, exemplary in all respects, the heads of which 
are, and have been for a long time, members of the Pine Street 
M. E. Church. A short time ago they were surprised at cer- 
tain, or, perhaps we should say, very uncertain sounds, as of 
rapping with the fingers or knuckles, and sometimes a scraping 
or scratching noise on the floor or wall. 

These sounds seemed to follow a young girl, about sixteen 
years of age, a daughter of the gentleman of the house. For a 
time they paid no attention to them ; but they increased in 
such a manner as to compel attention, and were apparently de- 
termined to be heard. What was more strange, was the fact 
that the spirit — or whatever it is — now speaks in an audible voice. 
At first it called the name of the young girl, and of other per- 
sons. The pious head of the family betook himself to prayer 
in order to lay the spirit, but it would not down. 

On Saturday evening last the pastor was sent for, and he, 
after convincing himself that there was no fraud on the part of 
the family, called in another aged and well-known clergyman. 
They both prayed, and the unseen visitant spoke audibly dur- 
ing the prayers of each. On Sunday morning the girl attended 
church with the family. There the rapping was heard by sev- 
eral, and the girl's name was called. Fearing to attract atten- 
tion, she left the church. At a class meeting the same day, the 
same phenomena occurred. 

This much and a great deal more had occurred up to Sunday 
morning last. It seems to follow the girl, yet some demonstra- 
tions have occurred when she was out of the house. They 
have talked and rapped at her, or with her, while in the street, 
and on the gate, the door steps and other places ; and, as we 
understand, the talking has continued while the girl was absent 
from the house. 

The members of the family, with whom we conversed, say 
they are all satisfied that there is no possibility of trick or col- 
lusion in the matter on the part of any human being. The two 
clergymen pronounce the whole thing entirely inexplicable, 
and we are told that they also are satisfied that no member of 



318 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the family has any agency in producing the sounds or the 
talking. 

The parties are too respectable to admit of the theory of col- 
lusion. Indeed, they are all greatly pained at the occurrences, 
and would gladly be rid of them. 

In the West Branch Bulletin of Williamsport, of 
February, I860, are the following additional particu- 
lars : — 

more About the "talking spirits." 

We have taken some trouble to ascertain the facts connected 
with the singular case of noises and strange sounds which we 
reported last week. It seems that the girl, who appears to be 
the medium for these manifestations, is not of a robust consti- 
tution, but is quite nervous, and has, at times, been extremely 
ill. 

About a year ago she was playing with another girl about her 
own age, when both fell into a well. The subject of the present 
excitement was rescued alive ; but the other lost her life. The 
voice which speaks to the medium makes frequent allusions to 
this circumstance, generally in a trifling and taunting way. It 
will say, " How would you like to be down in that well again ? " 
or " How did you like it when you fell into the well ? " 

After the family had been greatly annoyed by strange sounds, 
knocking, thumping, etc., for several days, the girl said : " In 
the name of God, what do you want?" 

To their utter consternation, a voice replied, plainly and dis- 
tinctly : "You, you, you! I want you!" and from this time 
talking was common. 

Not only would it follow the girl, but when she was up-stairs, 
and the other part of the family down, and in a different part 
of the house, the voice would speak to them. This seems to 
preclude the hypothesis of some specialty attaching to this girl. 
Men of candor and judgment, who were there and heard for 
themselves, have no idea that there was a possibility of any de- 
ception on the part of any of the family. If it is a spirit, it 
must be a mischievous one, or be among what Swedenborg calls 
the " infernals." 

At one time it said : " I was in heaven once, but I did not like 
it there. I climbed over the battlements and came down here ; 
I am in hell now, and will have you there. We have to gnash 
our teeth some, but that don't hurt ; anybody can do that." 

When a clergyman was spoken of, it expressed great contempt 



ITS PHENOMENA. 319 

for him, and paid very little respect to him while in the attitude 
and act of prayer, in which all the family joined, as the voices 
and talking were irreverently continued. 

It said if the clergyman came again it would show him a 
cloven foot. 

We have conversed with a gentleman who sat near the " me- 
dium " in church on Sunday morning week. He says the 
sounds were as loud as if made with a mallet, and the calling 
of the medium's name was heard by all in that part of the 
church. The officiating clergyman also heard the sounds at the 
same time. 

Since that Sunday evening or the Monday morning following, 
we learn that there have been no manifestations. The girl, from 
the effects of fright, and other exciting causes, is prostrated, 
and her case is considered very critical. 

We make the following notes : 

1. It will be admitted by careful students of the 
above reports that the daughter in the family was a 
rapping medium. 

2. It is not clear that she was a talking, or inspira- 
tional medium, but it is evident that her mediumistic 
qualities made conditions favorable for supernatural 
communications. 

3. It is clear that the manifestations were not made 
or produced by a good angel. 

4. It is equally clear that they were not the work 
of " disembodied human spirits," since we have pre- 
sented evidence which proves that the theory has no 
foundation in fact, and is always traceable to evil, whether 
past, present, or prospective. 

5. It is clear that it was from an evil source, inasmuch 
as it did not claim to be good, did not say any good 
things, did not do any good things, but did do evil 
things. 

6. It is now reasonable to conclude that the " talking 
spirit " was an evil spirit — a demon, as they are said to 
talk, as well as good angels. 

Now, the communications were either psychological 



320 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

and vocal, or they were direct and vocal. If they were 
psychological, then the medium's vocal organs were con- 
trolled and used by the demon with or without her 
knowledge of what she said ; just as Satan's serpentine 
medium talked to Eve in Eden, or as the angel's as- 
sinine medium talked to Balaam in Moab ! How sim- 
ilar in operation, and yet how different in character 
and object ! — This seems to be direct talking, Spiritual 
Phenomena. 

WALKING SPIRITS, 

who talk, are also brought to view in " Nineteenth Cen- 
tury Miracles," p. 487-490, where it is stated that such 
an one walked and talked with friends by daylight, as 
well as in darkness. The authority quoted by Mrs. 
Britten states that this spectre (a woman) frequently 
conversed without appearing at all ! 

This was superhuman, with no evidence of being a 
divine manifestation, therefore we must conclude that 
it was the work of an angel. Shall we know whether 
it was a good or an evil angel ? The next paragraph 
begins thus: 

This personal shape approached so near to Captain Butler, 
that he put his hand upon it, and it passed down through the 
apparition as through a body of light, in the view of Thirteen 
persons, who all saw the apparition, which rose into personal 
form, face and features, in a moment, returned to a shapeless 
mass, resumed her personality, and vanished again directly. 

Passing a couple of paragraphs the narrative con- 
tinues : 

Once when she conversed with about Fourteen persons, Mr. 
Blaisdell, having heard that his father was sick, asked the 
spectre whether she knew anything concerning him. " Your 
father," she replied, "is in heaven, praising God with the 
angels." 



ITS PHENOMENA. 321 

Now, we know that the angel was an evil one — a 
demon — from the fact that no good angel ever did, 
either in the Bible or out of it, teach that men go to 
heaven at death or " praise God with the angels " 
BEFORE the Resurrection and Judgment!! The 
Bible says, "THE DEAD PRAISE NOT THE 
LORD, neither any that go down into silence!' Ps. 115 : 
17. The account also says that the man was dead, as 
the " spectre " had stated, but the inquiring brother had 
not then heard of it. This, too, comes under the head 
of Demon Magnetism. 

HAUNTING MEDIUMSHIP, 

or, rather, hauntings and haunted houses, has been a 
subject for discussions and stories for ages, and perhaps 
during man's history. Many of them were true in 
detail, but were not satisfactorily explained. Every- 
body can tell a " ghost story," hence we shall not dwell 
on the subject, although we have many of them, some 
of which we have never read. 

Actual occurrences only interest us, and such always 
do. The variety of manifestations is great, varying 
from the simplest annoyance to grievous rackets, 
damage to property, and even personal harm. Such 
demonstrations usually occur near certain persons 
called "haunting mediums," who seem to attract the 
occult power which produces the disgusting phenomena. 
It occurs more or less in all countries on the globe. 
Spiritualism teaches that those persons or mediums are 
" obsessed," i. e., possessed by or under control of evil 
spirits — as if these were different in real character from 
any other " spirits " who teach that men are more alive 
for being dead ! 

It may be a very fine thing, per se, for Spiritualism 
to make scapegoats of poor haunting mediums, but the 

21 



322 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

fact remains that those spirits who claim greater gen- 
tility, and captivate genteel and intelligent people by 
their eloquent diction, the most elevating ideas of which, 
were abstracted from Bible teachings, after denying 
them, are as certainly evil spirits, or demons, as are the 
others. Each phase of mediumship has its affinities. 
But we will notice one or two haunting narratives and 
then " move on." 

In the Banner of Light, April 30, 1887, a concise 
account of hauntings away in Australia is quoted from 
the Harbinger of Light, published in Melbourne. We 
give a reprint : 

The demonstrations termed " supernatural " reported in the 
Mudgee Independent, took place in a small farm-house in the 
vicinity of Cooyal. They consisted of stones hurled at the 
house and dropping within it, apparently coming through the 
roof. They were of various sizes, some weighing a pound and 
a half. The occupant of the house is named Large, and his 
wife evidently is the medium through whom the manifestations 
occur, as it is said they never do unless she is in the room. 

The account also says: 

At times, whilst the missiles are falling around, deathly chills 
affect her whole system, and almost prostrate her. On one 
evening, fearful to remain indoors, the poor woman sought qui- 
etude outside the house ; but strange to say, several large stones 
dropped close to her, whilst one, although falling on some part 
of her body, left no mark ; in fact, was hardly felt. A cold 
deathly chill then crept over her, and she had to be taken to 
the fire, but without restoring warmth. 

A remarkable feature of this and many other ac- 
counts is, that no personal injury was done by this 
occult power ; and Mrs. Britten says that " where un- 
mistakable mischief or annoyance is manifest, it never 
seems to be permitted to cause injury to human beings 
or prove inimical to human life." See " Nineteenth 
Century Miracles," page 425. Nevertheless, we find 



ITS PHENOMENA. 323 

accounts of that kind on pages 93 and 101, and in 
other works as well. 

Satan has not left our own country unnoticed. The 
terrible experiences of individuals during the obsession 
scourge in Salem, Mass., in 1692, and known as the 
" Salem Witchcraft," was the procuring cause of many 
deaths, and much misery. Other cases of less extent 
have occurred at different times in different places. 
We have a very interesting account of the haunted 
church in Jersey City, N. J., in 1865, when on a cer- 
tain occasion the pastor was driven from the building 
by " moans, unearthly yells, and groans from innumer- 
able invisible beings." Later on, " Chief of Police 
McManus, Aid Doyle and Detective E. L. Mc Williams 
entered the church shortly after midnight. They had 
remained but a short time when they heard a low moan- 
ing sound, apparently from the vicinity of the pulpit, 
which grew louder and came nearer until it culminated 
around their heads into howls, yells, groans, etc., 
and then died away as it came. After a few mo- 
ments of silence, Chief McManus fired a blank 
cartridge from his revolver, when instantly the whole 
edifice seemed filled with thousands of infuriated de- 
mons, apparently bent on tearing them to pieces. The 
noises became so hideous and unearthly that the officers 
made a hasty retreat, apparently pursued by the de- 
mons to the door, which they closed and locked. Cross- 
ing to the opposite side of the street, they remained 
until daylight, but heard no further sounds, and saw 
nothing that tended to explain the mystery." 

The disgusting annoyances caused by demoniacal 
manifestations in Charles Street School-house, in New- 
buryport, Mass., in 1873, are still fresh in the minds 
of those who were witnesses of them. And in Mont- 
gomery county, Pa., in 1886, there was crockery de- 
stroyed, enough to furnish three ordinary houses ; and 



324 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the why and how of it has never, to our knowledge, 
been accounted for on mundane principles. 

Candid Reader now asks, " If, then, these manifesta- 
tions are the operations of demons, what is the best 
course to pursue under such circumstances ? " We an- 
swer that Samuel Wesley, the father of John Wesley, 
when suffering such persecutions, was advised by friends 
and clergymen to " quit the house ; " but he said : " No ; 

LET THE DEVIL FLEE FROM ME ; I WILL NEVER FLEE FKOM 

the devil ; " and we say, "Go and do thou likewise!' 

Picture, Drawing, and Photograph mediumship, are 
claimed among the gifts of "spirits" to man, and we 
shall admit the claim to be possible, and, therefore, 
practicable under favorable circumstances ; the super- 
human power of demons being amply sufficient to pro- 
duce pictures of varied cast and character. We see no 
reason .why evil angels could not direct the mind to 
guide the hand of the medium in picture-making as 
well as in other arts which we have admitted and ex- 
plained. Nevertheless, we believe that nine pictures 
in every ten are human frauds. 

The idea is not new, as will be seen by the following 
editorial paragraph which we clipped from the Banner 
of Light in 1867, under date of October 5th, and is as 
follows : 

SKEPTICS ASTONISHED — N. B. STARR. 

The spirit influences controlling this artist had promised that 
he should take the likenesses of immortals in public audiences. 
Accordingly, a few Sunday evenings since (in Detroit, Mich., 
in a hall literally crowded with people), after Bro. Starr had 
spoken nearly half an hour in a semi-conscious trance state, he 
took three portraits : one in nine minutes, one in two and a-half, 
and the other in two minutes, each representing a different con- 
dition of spirit life. 

The first taken was that of a bright, beautiful spirit, whose 
name he gave as Caroline Mason. This was instantly recognized 
by a person in the audience, as a dear friend of hers that had 
passed four years since to spirit life. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 325 

The sensation was tremendous ! Believers and skeptics alike, 
were clamoring for the pictures of their loved in heaven. Blessed 
be these mediums who withdraw the veil, demonstrate immor- 
tality, and introduce us to the dwellers of the Summer-Land. 

Were William White, who was editor of the Banner 
at that time, now alive, we would like to tell him that 
we have admitted almost all that Spiritualism claims, 
AS phenomena {denying the agency claimed), but to ask 
us to believe that a human being can " photograph im- 
mortal spirits," who are described as beings " without 
form, weight or color," would draw too heavily on our 
present stock of credulity, and do violence to Scripture, 
Known Facts, and Common Sense. It is as absurd an 
idea as ever found its way out of a human skull ! 

Despite the points we have made for, and also against 
pictures, we cannot withhold the following article from 
our readers, and a brief criticism, as well. It was taken 
from the Banner of Light, Jan. 29, 1887. We give a 
reprint : 

A SPIRIT-LIKENESS OBTAINED. 

The 24th of last December, while calling for a message through 
Dr. Rogers's independent slate-writing, I was requested, by a 
dear spirit-friend, to obtain her picture as she is and appears in 
the spirit-world — pictures which Dr. Rogers's guides can pro- 
duce. It took little time to settle terms and conditions, and by 
the 4th of January he was informed by his guides that by Fri- 
day evening, the 11th, they would be ready for the manifesta- 
tion. 

At the time appointed we were at hand to form a harmonious 
battery, and within twenty minutes the canvas stretched upon 
the easel — blank before — was adorned with a beautiful crayon 
likeness, resembling in features and complexion the picture 
taken of the friend in question while in earth-life, some ninety 
years ago, though never seen by the medium. 

This friend first appeared to me at Mrs. Williams' public 
seances, 232 West 46th street, a few months ago, and ever since 
has been a reliable and constant adviser in spiritual truth. 



326 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Her portrait is now framed and visible to any true believer in 
this great philosophy. Fred. Borschneck. 

It must be conceded that the first paragraph with its 
caption, teaches that Dr. Rogers can and will produce 
a picture of the dear "spirit-friend," "as she is, and 
appears in the spirit-ivorld." After eighteen days for 
preparation, a picture is produced " resembling the 
picture taken of the friend, some Ninety years ago, 
while in earth life ! " Nothing is said about its being a 
spirit-picture or picture of a spirit. If by spirit-picture 
is meant a picture that is directed by a spirit, that is, 
an angel, good or bad, then we can show that the claim 
is correct. It must be an evil spirit, in this case, since 
good spirits, or angels, never teach anything about 
human spirits as conscious entities ! 

Such a spirit, a demon, could impress a " medium " 
to draw or crayon a picture to " resemble " the one 
taken or made ninety years ago, and then the medium, 
or any one else, could imitate that one, or it might be 
photographed by any one. Moreover, a demon could 
direct his subject, or medium to make a picture as he 
chose, after his own fancy, and claim through the me- 
dium that it was a picture of a disembodied spirit ! 
This claim we have shown to be absurd in the extreme. 
True, we have their (the demons') ipse dixit for it, but 
they are false pretenders on the start by saying they 
are human spirits, and every one of them will lie, if 
pursued by Scripture teachings, known facts and common 
sense. If you doubt this, select one from any " sphere " 
and review him from the stand-points above named, 
and you will certainly discover the fact. 

FIRE MEDIUMSHIP, 
or phenomenal fires, have a place in history. In the 



ITS PHENOMENA. 327 

case of Magdalene Grombach, or the " Maid of Or- 
lach," fires frequently occurred about the premises, in 
her presence. Even after the furniture had been re- 
moved from the cottage, this was continued to some ex- 
tent. It occurred in the village of Orlach, Wurtem- 
burg, in Germany, in Feb., 1832. It is quoted at 
length in " Nineteenth Century Miracles," p. 18, from 
Dr. Justinius Kerner's work, which was published in 
1834. Dr. Kerner calls it "Demoniacal Possession" 
which is, undoubtedly, correct ; though we think the 
term Demon Magnetism more simple and instructive. 

We have other accounts of " strange fires," not ac- 
counted for, except in this way. It is remarkable that 
so many fires were started, or made at such times, and 
in such ways, that they could be put out in time to 
avoid more serious consequences. It clearly shows in- 
telligence, and also design ; but it is evil, and that in 
every case. It is in character akin to " hauntings," 
which we have alreadv noticed. 

The following account will be read with intense in- 
terest, and the more so because of the fact that the 
author called on Mr. and Mrs. Moyer, after the " fires," 
where they were making a temporary stay with some 
friends. We were kindly received, and pleased to 
learn from them that the account as given in the Phila- 
delphia Record, July 24, 1888, is substantially correct. 
We give a reprint : 

MYSTERIOUS FIRES. 

AN EVIL GENIUS IN A FRANKLIN STREET HOUSE. 

Every Time the Landlady's Back is Turned the Dwelling Gets 
Ablaze— The Police Baffled. 

Five attempts have been made within three days to burn the 
residence of Henry Moyer, No. 1615 Franklin street. The 
number and character of the fires have compelled Mr. Moyer 
to vacate the premises. 



328 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

The first attempt to burn the house occurred on Tuesday 
afternoon, and within three hours of the time the first fire had 
been extinguished three other attempts were made. 

Early on Tuesday afternoon Mrs. Moyer retired to the second 
story, leaving two of her children playing in the yard. The 
house was closed, and the first intimation the lady had of any- 
thing wrong was when her daughter called to her that the 
kitchen was on fire. This was extinguished, and the lady re- 
turned to her bed-room. In a few minutes her daughter called 
again. This time the blaze came from the dining-room win- 
dows, and, rushing into the room, Mrs. Moyer found the 
table-cloth on the dining-table in a blaze. She put the second 
fire out. Her daughter Bella then cried out : '' Oh, mamma, 
there is a man ! " and fell into her mother's arms in a dead 
faint. 

About five o'clock the shouts of a crowd in front of the 
house again alarmed the frightened woman, and running into 
the front bed-room she found the entire bed in a blaze. With 
the assistance of the neighbors the third conflagration was ex- 
tinguished. 

At six o'clock Mr. Moyer returned from Gloucester, and he 
was informed of the occurrence. While engaged in relating the 
particulars of the mysterious fires the store-room was discovered 
to be in flames. 

THE FAMILY DESERT THE HOUSE. 

Mrs. Moyer declared that she would remain in the house no 
longer, and, closing the place up, the family went to the Hay- 
market Hotel and spent the night. 

On Wednesday morning the}' returned and remained all day. 
Nothing unusual transpired. 

The family left the house in the evening, and yesterday Mr. 
Moyer returned to the dwelling, which had been constantly 
watched since Tuesday. He had scarcely opened the front door 
when cries of fire caused him to look up and see flames issuing 
from the second-story windows. The department responded to 
an alarm, and the fifth fire was put out. 

SUPPOSED LACK OF MOTIVE. 

Mr. Moyer was then taken into custody by the Twelfth 
district police on suspicion of having caused the fires, and was 
examined yesterday afternoon by Captain Quirk and Fire Mar- 
shal Thompson. He said that he had carried an insurance of 



ITS PHENOMENA. 329 

$1000 on his household effects for sixteen years. The policy 
had expired on May 2 and had not been renewed, leaving him 
subject to a total loss in case of fire. Moyer further testified 
that he had not been in the house at the time when any fire was 
discovered. 

After a lengthy examination Moyer was released, the police 
being fully satisfied that he was in no way responsible for the 
fires. Mr. Moyer and his family declare they will not enter the 
house again under any circumstances. 

Here is, evidently, a display of supernatural genius 
and force, but not, necessarily, almighty direction and 
power. Good angels could cause fires if directed, and 
evil angels, or demons, could do so if permitted ; while 
none will deny that such phenomena are evil. 



FLOWER MEDIUMSHIP 

is claimed for Spiritualism, by many Spiritualists, but 
we think there are many who, on studying the matter 
a little, would doubt or utterly reject the proposition. 
To candid, studious minds, a proposition to suddenly 
produce real flowers by or through the wisdom, power, 
or action of any man, woman, or human spirits, would 
be at once surprising, absurd, and disgustingly foolish ; 
and when a reaction from such a line of impressions 
occurs, the stage of Ridicule sets in, and in the necessary 
absence of good nursing, by Common Sense, the patient 
(mind) is u carried off" — from the subject ! 

We will notice one article on the subject which will 
be interesting, if not — (?). It is a remarkable produc- 
tion, and unless the reader is sharp-sighted he will get 
needlessly dazed, as we did on the first reading. We 
ask the reader to pass judgment upon it before noticing 
our comments upon it, and then compare deductions 
and conclusions, and adopt the best. 

The article purports to be a communication to the 



330 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Banner of Light, and was published in that paper 
under date of April 25, 1885. The writer captions it, 
" Mrs. Thayer, the Famous Flower Medium," gives her 
address and hours for regular seances, and then says : 



I have attended two of them, having never before enjoyed 
the opportunity of witnessing this beautiful phase of medium- 
ship except once in England (in inferior degree on that occasion) 
through Mrs. Guppy. The company sat round a long exten- 
sion table in the basement dining-room, in number eighteen on 
the one occasion and twenty-five on the other. We first 
thoroughly searched every drawer or cupboard in which flowers 
might have been concealed; verified that the windows were 
secure, and then locked ourselves in. placing the two keys on 
the table, where they were under the custody of us all. 

A few minutes after the gas was turned off, a vast quantity 
and variety of beautiful flowers fell, or were deposited on the 
table in front of the respective sitters. They were all fresh, and 
wet or damp, and alike in their vast quantity and in their 
perfect condition (which would have borne microscopic exam- 
ination), bore conclusive evidence that they had not undergone 
any concealment in pockets or about the person. There were 
long and copious stretches of smilax spreading over the middle 
of the table. Roses (one or two of enormous size), calla and 
other lilies in profusion, hyacinths, carnations, lilies of the 
valley, violets, mignonette, heath, orange flowers, etc., etc. 

There were plants of considerable size, evidently as they had 
just been taken out of pots, with the whole body of their roots 
and the accompanying moist earth. In some cases the sitters 
declared that they received the special flowers mentally asked 
for by them. Three birds were brought, and fluttered about 
the room, one of which was a peculiar Florida bird, which the 
lady who received it (who had recently been in that State) said 
she had asked for. Mrs. Thayer described correctly several 
spirits about their respective friends in the circle. On the two 
occasions I received some twenty flowers. Some had more, 
others less, but none went away empty. 

In one case Mrs. Thayer saw near a gentleman a young girl 
spirit holding a sprig of orange blossoms, and wearing a bridal 
veil, and she saw the veil fall to the ground. The gentleman 
said the young lady had been his betrothed, and died before 
their intended marriage. Among the flowers received by him 
was a sprig of orange blossoms. Altogether the seances were 



ITS PHENOMENA. 331 

well up to Mrs. Thayer's reputation. All of the company 
seemed unanimous in their satisfaction and delight, including 
one whom I knew not to have gone as a Spiritualist. I may 
hereafter say something about the modus operandi of our spirit 
friends in this manifestation. J. L. O'Sullivan, 

229 West 23d street, New York 

On scanning the article over, we wondered at the 
size of the statements it contained, they being quite 
new to us. The second time we read it we soliloquized 
thus : What a story is this ! How did it happen that 
the Banner accepted such an article, to publish it ? We 
have accepted everything that man, angels, or demons 
can do, without argument, since we do not beg the 
question ; but in this case great precaution was taken 
to avoid fraud, and yet " a vast quantity and variety 
of beautiful flowers fell, or were deposited on the table!" 
We could think of nothing less than a cart-load ! The 
next sentence declares that " they were all fresh and 
wet or damp, and alike in their vast quantity and per- 
fect condition" — roses (one or two, of enormous size). 
Eight other hinds of flowers and long stretches of 
smilax ! 

Moreover, "Three birds were brought, and fluttered 
about the room, one of which was a peculiar Florida 
bird which a lady received who had asked for it ! ! " 

Continuing our soliloquy, we said, Surely, at this 
rate, the next seance will report that babies in " perfect 
condition " were " brought " in Three-fourths of a year 
less than nature's schedule time, and presented to such 
ladies as desired one or more specimens ! ! 

Then, when we considered that not a good angel, 
much less, a demon, still less, man, and infinitely less, 
a band of mythical " disembodied human spirits " ever 
made a flower ; and, again, much less, a living bird, we 
felt like heaping ridicule and pity upon the story ; but 
Charity, Patience, and Judgment sat in council, and 



332 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ordered a third reading. We then read more carefully, 
and noted the following sentence: "There were plants 
of considerable size, evidently as they had just been 
taken out of pots, with the whole body of their roots 
and the accompanying moist earth ! " 

Our ar/msabilities (?) received something more than 
a gentle titilation when we saw this was the knocker 
that knocked the bottoms out of the "pots" thus ex- 
posing the " roots" and let the bottom out of the story 
as well ! ! 

The following clipping laid next to the one we have 
noticed and is quite as suggestive of material flowers as 
the other, albeit, the florist failed to collect pay for them, 
while in the other case there was no such complaint. 
It is from the New York Tribune, April 7, 1888, and 
reads thus : 



A Pittsburg medium is astonishing everybody by materializ- 
ing beautiful spirit flowers, which she distributes among those 
who attend ber seances. One man, however, is kicking about 
it. He is a florist, and he says that in some way or other these 
flowers are really abstracted from his conservatory. 



TELEPATHY. 

We find in the New York Independent, Feb. 16, 
1893, an interesting paper on " W. T. Stead's Experi- 
ment in Telepathy," by Albert Dawson. On being in- 
terviewed by the last named gentleman, Mr. Stead 
said : 

I never call myself a spiritualist. I am simply an investiga- 
tor of phenomena, which, as a rule, are ignored by the majority 
of busy people. Certain facts have come before me, the only 
explanation of which seems to lie in a certain direction ; but I 
am quite open to be convinced that the truth may lie in another 
direction. 

If any one can bring me a better hypothesis than that of 



ITS PHENOMENA. 333 

spirit-return, I am perfectly willing to receive it. But at pres- 
ent it seems to me no other explanation fits the facts, and un- 
til a better explanation is forthcoming I hold to my working 
hypothesis. That seems to me the only possible scientific atti- 
tude to take up in relation to any phenomena whatever. . . . 

I am absolutely certain .... that it is possible for some of my 
friends to use my hand as their own, they being at a distance from me. 
That is to say, a friend of mine at Newcastle is quite capable of 
using my hand here in London, and writing a message, long or 
short, by the mere action of his mind upon my hand without 
any telegraph or connecting wire. This, as you will remember, 
is alluded to in my Christmas Number in the scene on the ice- 
berg. 

.... I often receive communications from my secretary in 
the way I have described. If she is late in coming she will tell 
me the reason why, and say when I am to expect her. She 
ought to have been here an hour ago, so I will just sit down and 
question her as to when she is coming ! 

Suiting the action to the word, Mr. Stead rose from his seat 
opposite me, took his own seat in front of his desk where I had 
been sitting, took pen in hand, and touched a sheet of paper 
with its point. I noticed that neither his fingers nor any part 
of his hand or arm rested on the table, the only part of contact 
being where the pen touched the paper. 

The pen began writing, but of course I could not see what. 
As he finished the last word the door opened, and the secretary 
presented herself! I looked to see what Mr. Stead's hand had 
written. It was the secretary's initials, followed by the words, 

" I am here." I do not attach any importance to it, 

only, to say the least, it was rather odd that the verification of 
the statement should have arrived before the last word was 

fairly formed But I have had communications from 

friends at distances of two hundred, three hundred, and over 
five hundred miles, which were afterwards verified. 

Continuing, Mr. Stead gave the following narrative 
in illustration. It is interesting, and we accept it as 
being correctly stated, and have no trouble to account 
for it, strange as it is. He said : 

Some months ago I was at Redcar, in the north of England. 
A foreign lady who does some work for the Review had to meet 
me at Redcar railway station about three o'clock. I was stay- 



334 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ing with my brother who lives about ten minutes' walk from 
the station. At twenty minutes to three it occurred to me that 
u about three," the phrase used in her letter, might mean some 
time before three, and as I could not lay my hand upon a time- 
table, I simply asked her to use my hand and tell me what time 
the train was due ; this, I may say, was done without any pre- 
vious communication with her upon the subject. 

She immediately wrote her name and said the train was due 
at Redcar station at ten minutes to three. I saw that I should 
have to leave at once, but before starting, I asked her where she 
was at that moment? My hand wrote : " I am on the train at 
Middlesborough railway station, on my way from Hartlepool 
to Redcar." I then went to the station. 

On arriving there I went up to the time-table to see when the 
train was due. It was timed to arrive at 2.52. The train, how- 
ever, was late ; three o'clock came, and it had not arrived. 

At five minutes past three, getting rather anxious, I took a 
slip of paper from my pocket, and, taking a pencil in my hand, 
asked her where she was. At that moment she wrote (they 
always write their names at the beginning and end of each com- 
munication) and said : " I am in the train rounding the curve 
before you come to the Redcar station ; I will be with you in a 
minute." Why the mischief have you been so late? I men- 
tally asked. My hand wrote : " We were detained at Middles- 
borough for so long, I do not know why." I put the paper in 
my pocket, walked to the end of the platform, and there was 
the train ! 

The moment it stopped I went up to my friend and said to 
her : " How late you are ! what on earth has been the matter ? " 
" I do not know," she said, "the train stopped so long at Mid- 
dlesborough, it seemed as if it never would start." I then 
showed her what my hand had written. She had no knowl- 
edge whatever that she was writing with my hand, and was con- 
siderably amazed at finding that she had done so. 

[Italics are ours.] 

The above narratives, we think, do plainly carry on 
the face of them the idea that the hand of Mr. Stead 
was controlled by the minds of the persons named, and 
that, too, when they were at least several miles away ! 
Now we have said that a theory, to be sound, must not 
break with — that is, must not clash nor be set in oppo- 
sition to — Scripture^ Facts, nor Common Sense. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 335 

In this case the theory of accounting for the phe- 
nomena — which is the one objective point sought for — 
is at once confronted by two facts, viz., first, the per- 
sons were in normal condition ; second, they did not 
will, or control anything or any person, to express anx- 
iety or to explain the cause of it, seeing that they were 
not aware of the existence of such anxiousness in the 
matter. 

We think it has been made plain in our Fourth Topic 
that superhuman beings, evil angels — none the less 
angels, as such, because they are evil ones — have more 
than human knowledge of things, have greater memory, 
have more than human magnetism, and hence, more 
power. 

This being so, how easy in any case of a fine, deli- 
cate human organism — where the entire nervous make- 
up is negative, and hence as receptive in its nature as 
it is susceptible to impressions — for such an angel to 
use, by magnetism, the arm and fingers only, to write 
any handwriting, and give information by it which no 
amount of human collusion, jugglery or science could 
produce ! And such is Direct Mechanical Writing Me- 
diumship. See page 272. We counsel all to quit the 
practice of it forever, as we did on learning the 
character and object of the system. 

In connection with the above view and review we 
wish to notice some points in an article by Professor 
Cattell, which was published in the New York Inde- 
pendent, March 9, 1893. It was intended, evidently, 
for a criticism of, rather than an answer to, Mr. Stead's 
experience in mediumship, as above noted. 

In his first paragraph, Professor Cattell says : "Some 
one should reply to Mr. Dawson's communication." 
Very well, that is just what we are doing. He says, 
too, that " the subject required scientific investigation, 
rather than popular discussion." Again, that a " Uni- 



336 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

versity professor and clergyman told him that he re- 
gretted his experience, as it had shaken his faith in 
human sanity and honesty." 

We have only to remark that there is no need of any 
shaking of faith if True Theology is accepted ; that is, 
the theology taught in Bible teachings, rather than that 
which is taught in, or inferred from, the history of per- 
sons and their sayings in the Bible, whether human or 
demoniacal. 

Whatever Science is doing, it is true that there is 
more " popular discussion of the subject and topic 
under notice than ever before." 

And we may say here that Cold Science, as such, 
demands conditions which never did, do not, and never 
will produce results in mind and matter which simply 
superhuman (angelic good, or even bad) knowledge 
and power has and will produce ; and much less, that 
which only Almighty Wisdom can plan, comprehend 
and create. 

Human science may and perhaps does meet the su- 
perhuman, but it will never pass it; or, at least, not 
until it can produce a human embryo, or when such an 
embryo has become a very wicked man, it can change 
him morally, so as to be a very good man ! 

In his second paragraph, Professor Cattell offers 
$1,000 to any one who will by telepathy, second sight, 
or spirit communication, tell the order of a pack of 
cards in his laboratory. We believe that a first-class 
Impressional medium could do it on the first trial, if 
he would allow favorable yet fair conditions. 

We should expect to see Mrs. Kellar do it under 
such conditions, if led into the laboratory blindfolded, 
as the author has reasons for believing that that lady 
has immense inediumistic powers. Nevertheless, if all 
this were done, it toould be a long remove from proving 
that disembodied spirits did it ! 



ITS PHENOMENA. 337 

Those cases of mediuraship (as claimed) which the 
Professor examined, he says, "could be explained by- 
one or more of four hypotheses — coincidence, the falli- 
bility of memory and self-observation, disease, and dis- 
honesty." We think he would find no chance to use 
either of these in Mr. Stead's case, and hence accept 
it as true Direct Mechanical Mediumship. 

The Professor's article is able and instructive, unless, 
perhaps, his suggested explanations of mediumship may 
be excepted. Mind-reading will be noticed under Im- 
pressional Mediumship. 

TELEGRAPHIC MEDIUMSHIP. 

" Spirit" telegraphy differs from writing mediumship 
only in manner of operation, and is, therefore, an im- 
portant phase of phenomena, because if fairly presented 
by the medium human fraud is excluded, and the fact 
is made apparent, or manifest, as well. 

It is of a high order of phenomena in point of ele- 
gance in operation, and dignity in style, and convincing 
power as well ; and he who attempts to account for it 
without the Bible to an intelligent, candid student will 
find himself struggling with facts which prove formid- 
able obstacles when posing in opposition to error. The 
idea is not new, in fact, although it is comparatively so 
in presentation. 

About thirty years ago, a gentleman called on Mrs. 
Fanny Conant, a noted trance medium, for a test man- 
ifestation. He was a telegraph operator, as was his 
deceased friend with whom he would communicate. 

The following is an account of the seance, as quoted 
from her " Biography," page 199, by the Banner of 
Light, April 9, 1887: 

Having taken seats at the table, the medium and her visitor 
became passive to the influences, and awaited the result. Mrs. 
22 



338 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

C, as was her wont when anticipating the coming of spirits, 
held in her hand a pencil, and had spread before her a sheet of 
paper, in order that should the invisible intelligence not wish 
to entrance her, it might express its ideas in writing. 

Suddenly her hand began to rise and fall in a singular and 
very irregular manner, and the pencil continued for some mo- 
ments to make a ticking sound upon the paper, for which it 
was wholly beyond the power of the medium to account. 
Finally, despairing of any influence controlling, and much con- 
fused as to the apparent failure of the seance, she said to her 
visitor : 

" It's of no use. There seems to be no spirit present at this 
time who can communicate with you. There is one here, but 
. it is evidently ignorant of the method of return, and cannot 
get full control." 

She expected, in her chagrin, that the investigator would ex- 
press his dissatisfaction, and retire, convinced in his mind that 
spirit communion — as far as the medium was concerned, at least 
— was a fable ; but she was exceedingly surprised when he 
quietly informed her that he was perfectly satisfied — that the 
seance had been an entire success — that he had received the 
test he had desired from his friend, and had written it out 
for preservation, unnoticed by her. 

On further explanation, it appeared that the visitor was a 
telegraphic operator, and that the matter he desired to be in- 
formed about by his friend just passed away (who was also an 
operator) was of a nature known only to themselves ; this in- 
formation the friend in the form wished the excarnated one on 
meeting him in presence of, or through the medium, to give by 
means of the telegraphic ticks used in the transmission of mun- 
dane messages. This the influence had accomplished mechan- 
ically through the pencil of Mrs. Conant while she in a normal 
state — and totally ignorant of the telegraphic alphabet — was 
wondering at the failure of the spirit to transcribe something 
which could be read. Thus the entire freedom of the channel 
of communication from any knowledge of the matter given 
was clearly and satisfactorily proven to the gentleman. 

To accuse the medium of trickery in such a case 
would evince a sort of mulish folly. If the demon who 
could and did control his medium in the manifestation 
succeeded in making her or her patron believe that the 
intelligence so wonderfully and accurately given was 



ITS PHENOMENA. 339 

indited or conveyed by the " spirit " of his deceased 
friend, then there was deception — demoniacal deception 
— not human trickery. 

More recently a further development of this inter- 
esting phase of phenomena was made through the rae- 
diumship of Mr. Rowley, of Ohio, whose experience in 
this direction is remarkable. 

The Banner of Light, of April 9, 1887, copied along 
article from the Cleveland Plaindealer of March 27, 
ult, from which we take a few of the first paragraphs. 
We accept the facts as stated and account for them, 
while we disprove the agency claimed by Spiritualism. 
The article is headed 

INTO THE UNSEEN. 

REMARKABLE MANIFESTATIONS OF AN OCCULT AGENCY. 

Communicating by Telegraph with the World Invisible and Invoking 
Occult Powers for Beneficial Purposes — Phenomena that have Re- 
sisted the most Rigid tests of Scientific Experts — Transcendental 
Medicine and the Application of Strange Powers to Medical Prac- 
tice. 



Nothing perhaps in all the records of the manifestations of 
occult forces and in the experiments with psychic energies has 
been so remarkable, so perplexing and, after the most rigid in- 
vestigation, more convincing than what relates to the develop- 
ment of telegraphic communications from an unseen world 
through a gentleman of this city. The facts have been well 
known to a number of people who investigated them, but no 
statement has ever been made to the general public curious in 
these matters, except one or two fanciful and distorted accounts 
of the phenomena that got into certain papers. The writer, 
having had occasion to make a very careful and thorough in- 
quiry into the matter, considers that an accurate narrative as to 
what these manifestations are, how they came about, and the 
remarkable utilitarian purposes to which ultimately they were 
put would be of interest and of some value perhaps as a contri- 
bution to the literature of 



340 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

OCCULT SCIENCE. 

Some four and a half years ago it became known to those 
curious in these matters that a gentleman living in this city had 
been able to obtain communications from unseen intelligences, 
or what purported to be such, through a modification of a tele- 
graph apparatus, and without any intervention on his part. 
How this matter started and what came of it Mr. Rowley stated 
to the writer as follows : 

HOW DISCOVERED. 

" The influence or power, or whatever it is," said Mr. Rowley, 
" came to me in a singular w T ay. I never was a Spiritualist, and 
was prejudiced against Spiritualism to a degree that amounted 
almost to bigotry. I was brought up in the Methodist Church 
and with my family attended that church. Some four years ago 
I noticed, when sitting quietly, a tapping on my cufTs and col- 
lars. I thought it was singular, but never gave it much atten- 
tion. The taps came in regular succession and quite distinctly. 
One evenkig we had some company at our house, and we got 
to talking about Spiritualism, and were all of the opinion that 
it was all humbug. I proposed that just for sport we sit at a 
table and see if anything would happen. We placed our hands 
on the table, and, to our astonishment and consternation, we 
heard loud raps on the table. We proceeded to ask questions,, 
and after a while this message was rapped out : 

"get slates." 

I went across to the grocery and got two slates and placed 
them on the table. The raps then began on the slates like the 
ticking of a telegraph instrument, and to my great astonishment 
spelled out in the regular Morse alphabet, with which I was 
familiar, the name 

H. S. EVANS. 

I was dumbfounded. This man was a friend of mine, a 
telegraph operator, whom I had known well when living, but of 
whom I was not thinking then nor had thought of for a long 
time. But here was his name spelled out in telegraphic lan- 
guage, and a long message was received, recalling well-remem- 
bered incidents in his association with me. I tested him 
thoroughly, asking him questions as to his age, birthplace, per- 
sonal appearance and incidents in his life that other parties 
could not have known anything about, and every question was 
answered promptly and correctly. We subsequently repeated 



ITS PHENOMENA. 341 

these experiments and readily obtained these telegraphic taps, 
messages being received from various persons. This was my 
first experience and the starting point of these manifestations. 

DEVISING AN INSTRUMENT. 

Mr. J. H. Wade, hearing of the manifestations, undertook an 
investigation of them, for which his knowledge of telegraphy 
well fitted him. He constructed a rude apparatus consisting 
of key with "sounder " attachment and shut it up in a box, so 
that there could be no contact with it from outside. When Mr. 
Rowley placed his hand on the box the instrument inside 
tapped off its telegraph messages quite readily. This was 
examined thoroughly by a number of electricians and tele- 
graphers of this city, Superintendent Wright of the Western 
Union being one, and while all agreed that the messages came 
in regular telegraph language, the source from which they came 
was not apparent and could not be referred to any known cause 
or law of electricity. The operator, whoever he was, was 
invisible, and the means by which he caused the apparatus to 
indicate the messages could not be ascertained. There was an 
occult power at work possessing intelligence, but beyond this 
there was no satisfactory conclusion. 

This instrument was defective in that it produced but one 
sound to each motion of the key, and had not the reflex action 
causing the up and down, or double click of the regular tele- 
graph instrument. This led Mr. Wade to further experiment, 
and to the construction of a more perfect instrument which has 
been used since, and which will presently be described. It has 
been used in the homes of many prominent citizens of this city, 
and the manifestations through it have been of a most remark- 
able order, as these citizens can testify. It has been submitted 
to the closest scrutiny of experts in telegraphy, but invariably 
with one result and one conclusion. The messages come from 
some intelligent source, and they do not come from Mr. Rowley, 
nor through any collusion on his part with anybody else or 
through him. Messages have been received in various foreign 
languages, with none of which Mr. Rowley has any acquaint- 
ance, and a great many people have received personal messages 
which to them left no doubt as to the identity of their purported 
author. Information has been communicated that could in no 
possible w r ay have been in possession of Mr. Rowley, as on one 
occasion a prominent Mason of this city received the Masonic 
pass-words up to the thirty-second degree, none of them being 
known to Mr. Rowley. 



342 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

A PHYSICIAN SURPRISED. 

Mr. Rowley was in a business that caused him to travel 
about the country a great deal, and made no use of the strange 
power developed through him except to give occasional exhibi- 
tions of it to a few friends. Many curious and interesting 
results were obtained on these occasions that there is not room 
here to relate. Experiments were made in the presence of 
many prominent citizens, electricians and men of scientific 
attainments, but no one could ever discover that the source of 
the communication was anything else than the occult agency it 
claimed to be. Upon one of these occasions, when the mani- 
festations were taking place in the house of a gentleman on 
Arlington street, Dr. L. W. Sapp, a well-known physician, was 
present. He was then treating a case that greatly disturbed 
him, as he apparently was able ,to do the patient no good. He 
was thinking of this case more than of the manifestations, when 
all at once this message was ticked off by the instrument: 

" Dr. Sapp, you are in trouble about that case of Mr. ," 

naming the patient, to Dr. Sapp's great amazement, as he had 
said nothing about the case to any one. He asked : 
" Who are you, and what do you know about it ? " 
" I am Dr. Wells, and I think I can help you." 
The instrument then went on and ticked off a long message, 
giving a detailed diagnosis of the case, abounding in medical 
phrases and anatomical terminology of which Rowley had no 
knowledge whatever. The mysterious agency then prescribed 
a course of treatment which Dr. Sapp ventured to try, and with 
such happy effect that he followed it up, and his patient got 
well. He was induced to consult the same ghostly oracle in 
other cases, and with such uniform good results that he took 
Mr. Rowley into his office, and, submitting different cases to 
diagnosis of the mysterious doctor in the unseen world, opened 
up a new field in medical practice. 

Other interesting test cases follow in this account, 
which is quite lengthy. In due time Mr. Rowley pub- 
lished a card, advertising his gift for the benefit of the 
suffering, as well as for himself. It is as follows : 

ROWLEY'S OCCULT TELEGRAPH. 

That independent agencies through this instrument diagnose 
and prescribe with wonderful accuracy and skill, has been 
so well proven by the leading scientific men all over the United 



ITS PHENOMENA. 343 

States, that it is not now denied even by the most skeptical. 
The leading physicians everywhere consult it now in their dif- 
ficult cases, thus acknowledging it to be far beyond anything 
known in diagnosing and prescribing for all diseases. It never 
fails. Terms : $5.00 and 4c. postage for first diagnosis and 
medicines, and $2.00 and 4c. postage for each following treat- 
ment. Address 

(Send for Circular.) W. S. Rowley, 

89 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. 

We have appended this card, partly, for the purpose 
of criticising the sentence, " It never fails." Without 
a reasonable doubt in the mind of the author, the sen- 
tence should (or might) read, " It seldom fails." In our 
experience the " spirits," as claimed, never told us 
wrongly concerning things which had actually occurred, 
but sooner or later they did and will tell of things 
which did not occur ! If you doubt this, watch and 
take notes. But for this one fact Modern Spiritual- 
ism WOULD TAKE THE LEAD AYE, IT WOULD BE 

THE SUN, WHILE ALL OTHER ETHICAL AND 
METAPHYSICAL THEORIES WOULD be mere 
SATELLITES in the mind of man ! 

We candidly and very properly admit this wonderful 
phase of phenomena to be superhuman, though not Di- 
vine, seeing that its author, Satan, defied Divinity in 
Eden ; and his angels in disguise of " human spirits " do 
so now. The defiance in Eden was so plausible, having 
a numerical majority of truths in it (Gen. 3 : 4-22) 
that man was deceived then. " His angels " in disguise 
of human spirits display so large a measure of truth 
in the phenomena presented that man is deceived now. 
Albeit in the former case the result was death (Gen. 
5:5), while in the latter case the result will be "the 
Second death." See Rev. 21 : 8. [No intimation of 
eternal misery in it, hence no dishonor to the character 
of God.] 

We have now noticed Twenty-two phases of medium- 



344 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ship, all of which are more or less claimed by Spirit- 
ualists. The kind which we shall now treat upon has 
never, to our knowledge, been declared to be a phase 
of mediumship as such, and hence, though it would be 
denied by believers in Spiritualism, we claim that a 
certain class of phenomenally desperate crimes are di- 
rected by the same intelligent yet supremely wicked 
beings that direct and control other mediums when 
they heal the sick, or speak with wonderful eloquence, 
viz., fallen angels, or demons. 

Honest Skeptic, having partially lost the "thread of 
the argument," asks, " How can this be, seeing there is 
a wide difference between healing the sick and mur- 
dering them or others ? " We answer : The immediate 
object is not the same ; the one being wholly evil, while 
the other is wholly good ; but the good is done only to 
mislead, and thus secure destruction in both cases, 
which is, without a reasonable doubt, the ultimate ob- 
ject OF ALL PHENOMENA CLAIMED TO BE DIRECTED BY DIS- 
EMBODIED spirits. We shall now speak of 

DESTROYING MEDIUMSHIP. 

Many men and women, possessing learning and 
moral culture, on opening to this page and scanning 
the head-line, or title of this article, will be surprised 
to see it, yet on reading it, will wonder why somebody 
had not written such a paper before. While we are 
glad to do it for the sake of saving others from moral 
injury or personal harm, the task is far from being a 
pleasant one. 

We have shown that in all phases of mediumship 
there is in the medium a very sensitive nature, making 
him very impression al under favorable circumstances. 
This, of itself, is no part of moral character. Charac- 
ter, however, modifies impressions and decides which, 



ITS PHENOMENA. 345 

if any, shall be reduced to speech and action, and these 
always are the expression of character. 

The actions, then, of persons having an impressional 
or sensitive nature, when controlled by influences so 
strong as to be an impelling power, will be phenomenal 
in style, and perhaps in force as well. Such display, 
or manifestation of ability, is called a u gift," being 
natural to the person, who may, therefore, be called a 
" medium." 

Now notice the fact, that just as sure as such persons 
devote themselves to moral work, that which is dictated 
by the highest moral principles known and taught, and 
which come from God, from His angels, from the Bible, 
and from nowhere else, so certainly will community 
cease to need for them the services of law and court 
officials ; while prisons might be changed to hospitals, 
and gallows frames reduced to fuel with which to heat 
them ! 

— Aye, then would gentle Peace 
Bring forth from the fossils of hate and indifference 
All phases of love and joy ; as quietly, too, as 
The June Sun develops the charming 
Tints and blushes upon the face of 

The luscious strawberry, 
While it nods to Heaven its daily " Thank-yous " 
Between the leaves of its modest bower ! 

Unhappily, however, for mankind, the majority of 

persons thus gifted are either indifferent or opposed to 

the good principles above noted ; hence they are on 

the side of bad ones, for indifference is not obedience, 

and — 

Satan finds some mischief still 

For idle [though gifted] hands to do. 

So, he sends his demons in the disguise of " disem- 
bodied spirits " to control many of them, causing them 



346 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

to " tip," " talk," " telegraph " or " write " that man is 
not morally accountable " to any authority, whether 
vested in Creed, Book or Church, except received 
truth." [See Declaration of Principles, art. 8, in next 
Topic] But what is received truth f " Truth to the 

INDIVIDUAL CONSCIOUSNESS, which IS THE FINAL STAND- 
ARD . . ." (Capitals are ours.) See Ibid., art. 12. 

It requires neither astuteness nor erudition to per- 
ceive that this means, no moral responsibility to any 
person or being, "outside of self!" 

Now, take a practical view of the proposition. Thou- 
sands of mediums and lecturers are teaching this doc- 
trine and producing more or less real " phenomena," 
believing and claiming that the work is being done by 
" departed spirits," whereas, doubtless, demons in dis- 
guise direct the entire business, and the millions who 
see and hear from time to time are interested by the 
phenomena, while their convictions and fears are soothed 
by being taught that they will never meet in judgment 
to answer for wrongs committed and duties omitted. 

Here we are struck by the elegance with which this 
doctrine fits the various forms of perverted human na- 
ture. We say perverted, because human nature was 
made good — not holy — for such a condition must be 
obtained by successful trial ; but the trial failed and 
man's natural goodness became perverted ; hence he is 
selfish, hateful, and even cruel ; and so commonly are 
these perversions seen in him that we have come to 
call their results " human nature." As man willingly 
adopts them, he is morally responsible ; so that " we 
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 
that every one may receive the things in body, accord- 
ing to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 
— 2 Corinthians 5 : 10. 

Surely there is no " disembodied spirits " doctrine in 



ITS PHENOMENA. 347 

this plain Scripture, neither " no-accountability " teach- 



ings. 



Now, among the millions of hearers, aforesaid, liter- 
ate and illiterate, it is fair to conclude that one in every 
seven has mediumistic qualities, some of whom are very 
gifted. Among those not so strongly gifted, as medi- 
ums, owing to their positive make-up, are many who 
are so coarsely made, and by choice illiterate, that they 
are selfish, uncouth, and impudent under ordinary cir- 
cumstances. They know right from wrong, but their 
" don't care " sentiments often keep them from choosing 
the right ; hence they easily drift to the wrong and take 
sides with it. 

If such an one takes offence at another for real or 
imaginary cause, as actual insult or mere jealousy, he 
feels but little restraint, and if further provoked soon 
feels a willingness to become desperate. This is a de- 
mon's opportunity, and he immediately assumes more 
or less control, and in proportion to the completeness 
of the control will be the radical desperation and de- 
structive work of the Destroying medium, for such he 
becomes in fact. This theory is the true philosophy 
of many murders, and, particularly, of murders fol- 
lowed by the suicide of the murderer ! It is Demon 
Magnetism ! 

Preachers, Teachers, and Reformers ! Here is a study 
for you, and you will find illustrations in any news 
journal. We have many of them, but will not disgust" 
our readers with their details. 

SUICIDE. 

This alarmingly increasing crime is one of those 
things that cannot be ignored or brushed aside. With 
rare exceptions, it receives legal attention, at least. 
We find Three Classes of Suicides. Two classes are, 



348 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

doubtless, responsible for their rash acts, while the other 
class is not. 

There is one class of Suicides that are premeditated, 
well arranged, determined, and deliberate — as much so 
as any well-devised scheme of emigration that is based 
upon legitimate business principles and prospects. 

We are aware, however, that many contend that no 
person ever committed suicide, who was sane. All such 
persons who read this article will be surprised to learn 
— as they will — that they have, virtually ', made one step 
in that direction, themselves! hence, that such a belief 
is not only erroneous, but very dangerous ! 

During the trial, in a Life Insurance suit in Kansas, 
Justice Miller of the United States Court, charged that 
there was " no presumption in law, prima facie or other- 
wise, tliat self-destruction was evidence of insanity. 
The act of a suicide must be shown to be the result of 
insanity. The party must have been moved to the act 
by an impulse that he could not resist. If such a state 
of mind existed, the company must be held liable ; but 
if the party, in the exercise of his ordinary faculties, 
had become angry, excited, or distressed, so that he pre- 
ferred death to life, the act of suicide was his own, and 
the company could not be held liable." — Boston Herald, 
1871. 

Judge Miller here outlines a case in New Hampshire, 
that came within our knowledge. 

Benjamin Boutwell was a finely built, well-disposed 
and moral, though not religious young man, twenty- 
three years of age. By industry and prudence, he had 
saved a little money with a view in due time to make 
a home for himself and the lady of his choice. She, 
however, saw fit to accept the hand of another who 
had more " gush and dash " than brains. This crushed 
Benjamin's hopes and spoiled his earthly plans. He 
then deliberately and effectually planned his death, con- 



ITS PHENOMENA. 349 

sidering that life was not worth the living. When his 
plans and directions were properly written, he went out 
and hanged himself. There was no insanity about it ; 
he simply chose between two conditions and acted ac- 
cordingly — -just as many do now. 

A moral attaches itself to the case, which is the fol- 
lowing simple but potent fact : 

Had he been a lover and a doer of the teachings of 
the Bible, he would have outlived his trial, and would 
have possessed a hope of eternal life. 

A clipping before us states that the London Lancet 
(a high authority) " believes suicide to be caused by the 
moral and not the physical condition of the victims ; 
and puts no belief in 'temporary insanity' as a cause 
of or excuse for self-slaughter, but contends that those 
who take their own lives do so as a rule, with an intel- 
ligent consciousness of what they are doing." 

One important point belonging to the well-put re- 
marks just quoted should be noticed. The "belief" 
of the Lancet is, without doubt, correct as stated, i. e. 9 
that " temporary insanity, as a cause of, or an excuse 
for self-slaughter," is given by the suicide; otherwise, 
it must be mere conjecture. This will be seen further 
on in this article. 

The Philadelphia Record, Aug. 21, 1887, gives the 
details of a double suicide — mother and daughter — 
which, for deliberation, determination, and skill in suc- 
cessfully scheming a diabolical outrage upon their 
friends, upon themselves, and upon a civilized commu- 
nity, is not often equalled in criminal history. When 
their plans were matured — including double means to 
insure death as a result — they died in each other's 
arms ! Money and means were left to cover all ex- 
penses, and it was reasonably and charitably disposed of 
in their deliberations and directions, as given in a 
double letter containing the hand-writing of each. 



350 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

We quote a few sayings of each from the letter. The 
mother wrote the following : 

" Do please gratify this request, and may God for- 
give us, for we are driven to it ... . I want to rest 
with my children. My darling daughter prefers death 
to being separated from her mother. We worship each 
other. We cannot be separated. . ." 

The daughter wrote, among other things, the follow- 
ing: 

" We are, both of us, my mother and I, insane, and 
dread the madhouse." 

On review, we notice first, that they were not Athe- 
ists, since they recognized God. They were not Chris- 
tians, since they " worshipped each other ; " and then, 
strange to say, they helped to secure each other's 
death! .Thus, they were murderers, according to the 
law of God, and the laws of our land, as well. It is 
remarkable how soon their sin of idolatry was followed 
by murder (as accessories) and suicide ! 

The details of this double horror show that it was 
conducted according to intelligent and honest business 
principles, as such. If those women were insane, then 
there are very successful business men insane, also. 
But what of that remarkable remark, " We are, both 
of us, mother and I, insane ? " It was, doubtless, said 
with a view to stifle conscience, and to lessen the sting 
of social and moral disgrace by having the statement 
connected with the history of the affair. This, we 
think, proves sanity, rather than insanity. 

It is highly probable that this family had been 
taught that suicide proves insanity, and Satan is wily 
enough to encourage the idea to the last, and mean 
enough, if opportunity offered itself, to mock their fatal 
credulity while life was ebbing only to return when the 
resurrection trumpet shall sound, and when " the dead 
shall be raised." 1 Cor. 15 : 52. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 351 

Again, to accept the theory that suicide proves in- 
sanity is virtually to claim a moral right or privilege 
to stop our existence, if distress of mind or body should 
bear upon us more than we think is proper for us to 
endure, despite the fact that murderers shall have their 
part in the second death. [Not eternal life in mis- 
ery^] Rev. 21 : 8. The "temporary insanity" dodge 
encourages crime now, hut cannot cover it then. Let us 
therefore remember that " God is not mocked " in the 
harvest. 

Deacon Partridge, who lived in Holliston, Mass., 
forty years ago, and whose name was a synonym for 
uprightness in the town as well as in the Church, often 
said to us and to others : " Men can cheat each other, 

BUT THEY CANNOT CHEAT THE L.0RD." We Call the 

simple truism an excellent reminder. 

Once more : a painfully interesting case of sane sui- 
cide preceded by murder was published in the Phila- 
delphia Press, Mar. 8, 1887. x\fter his plans were 
made and the murder was committed, the murderer 
wrote a letter from which we quote the following : 

" I do this deed to get even with the woman for 
playing false to me . . . Don't insult me after I am 
dead by saying, ' He was crazy.' — J N ." 

This is plain business style; no irony, no joking, no 
begging of the question, and no insanity ; but, simply 
the sum, and crowning acts of immorality. 

Finally, we cannot forbear to copy a part of an arti- 
cle which we clipped from the Philadelphia Press, 
though we failed to date it. It was a condensed report 
of Judge Ashman's last address as President of the 
Society, and will speak for itself. The Press says : 

Judge William N. Ashman delivered before the Medical 
Jurisprudence Society in the hall of the College of Physicians 
last evening a lecture on " The Legal Aspect of Suicide," as his 



352 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

annual address before retiring from the chair as president of the 
society. 

Judge Ashman, in beginning his essay, briefly reviewed a 
paper read by Prof. Reese at a previous meeting, arriving at the 
conclusion that suicide from a medico-legal point of view was 
not necessarily a proof of insanity. 

Judge Ashman said : "A man must have a cool judgment, 
indeed, who can take account of his stock, as it were, and, 
arriving at the conclusion that a departure from this world is a 
judicious investment, cut his throat." The belief in Spiritual- 
ism, he said, would have the effect of taking from the would-be 
suicide the terror of death. But Spiritualists are not necessarily 
lunatics, he argued. In the English common law, suicide was 
regarded as a crime for two reasons — as a crime against God, in 
that the criminal presented himself before his Maker before he 
was summoned ; and as against the King, in that the sovereign 
has some control of the lives of his subjects. 

From these facts the speaker described in detail a number of 
cases showing that the abettor to a suicide was regarded as a 
principal, notably one case in England where a husband and 
wife agreeing to die together, took poison. The wife dying and 
the husband recovering, he was convicted of murder. 

The able remarks of Judge Ashman, comprehending 
as they do, metaphysical, moral and legal points, are 
instructive ; and one important clause will be noticed 
again. 

But here comes Radical Ghostman ! Hurriedly he 
asks, " What is this talk about suicide for ? Has it 
anything to do with Spiritualism ? " We answer, No, 
Raddie, it has not ; but we expect to show that Spirit- 
ualism has much to do with suicide ! The class of 
suicides which we have considered are not a part of, 
nor are they directed by Spiritualism, so far as we know. 
We have attempted to show : 

First, That many suicides are carefully planned and 
deliberately executed without error or failure, thus prov- 
ing that suicide may be committed by persons not insane. 
Second, That the theory which claims that suicide is 
proof of insanity of the person committing the act 



ITS PHENOMENA. 353 

encourages suicide, which violates Divine, natural and 
human laws : truly, it is one of Satan's best efforts 
against humanitv. 

Long after the above was written we clipped the 
following despatch from the Camden Daily Telegram 
(N. J.), Dec. 29, 1888, and now make room for it 
because of its pertinence to the subject or class under 
notice. Aside from its horror and uniqueness, it 
suggests two valuable Morals. The article is as 
follows : 

SUICIDE BECAUSE OF A TENDER CONSCIENCE. 

Princeton, Ind., Dec. 29. — A wealthy widower of this place, 
who was married on Christmas day (Tuesday), hanged him- 
self late on Thursday. His body was discovered yesterday. 
He left a note saying he had broken his promise not to marry 
again, given to his first wife on her death-bed, and that ha 
could not endure the reproaches of his conscience. 

First Moral. Never make such a promise, uncon- 
ditionally ; it is very unwise. 

Second Moral. Accept Bible teachings and believe 
that when your wife is dead, neither man nor the 
Devil can make her alive in any sense of the term, and 
that God will not do it before the Resurrection and 
Judgment. Had the man who is the subject of our 
quotation believed this, he would not have suicided, 
seeing that it is impossible for a dead person to take 
cognizance of anything until God causes him, or her, 
to live again. 

We come now to a second class of suicides. It is 
that unfortunate class of persons who, because of the 
abnormal condition of their minds, not willingly and 
knowingly caused by themselves, are not responsible 
for their actions, murder and suicide included. We 
will cite one case from many and consider it typical 
of the class in question. It is the subject of a Louis- 

23 



354 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ville, Ky., despatch to the Philadelphia Daily News, 
and is as follows : 

The fast passenger train from Cincinnati was running around 
a curve at the rate of forty miles an hour to-day, when a tall and 
fine-looking man about fifty years old, who had been sitting on 
a seat with two other men, sprang to his feet with a mad shriek 
and dashed to the -front door of the coach. He stood for a 
moment, and then in another instant plunged head-foremost 
into space. He struck the side of the deep cut, through which 
the train was running, and rebounding, his body rolled under 
the wheels. The train was stopped quickly, and the ghastly 
remains were picked up from the track and placed in a baggage 
car. The suicide was aged 49, once a prominent and highly 
respected citizen of Louisville. He had been confined in a 
sanitarium in Cincinnati, and Was being brought to the Anchor- 
age Lunatic Asylum, near Louisville. His madness was the 
result of sunstroke. 

This case of suicide is in decided contrast with those 
previously noticed, in that the subject had been insane 
for some length of time, he did not understandingly 
plan and execute the act of self-destruction, neither 
can it be said that he was " obsessed " as being a 
procuring cause, since the cause was " sunstroke," which 
easily accounts for loss of reason, or insanity ; hence, 
he could not be said to be responsible for his terrible 
act. There are many cases of this type but they 
seldom suicide for two reasons : First, they are not 
generally fierce, and Secondly, they are, if violent, well 
guarded until they die or are cured. 

A Third class of suicides will now be considered. 
It is the most important of the three classes named, 
because of its superior number, which is fast increasing 
to the dismay of all good people who know the fact. 
The ratio of increase of suicides over the increase 

OF POPULATION IS FEARFUL TO CONTEMPLATE, and Calls 

loudlv for reform. We have a small bundle of editor- 

4/ 

ials from different parts of the country complaining of 
this terrible evil, while very few account for it satis- 



ITS PHENOMENA. 355 

factorily even to themselves. A leading characteristic 
of the suicides under notice is, that apparently, they 
are usually unpremeditated. 

Another very serious feature of the suicides of the 
present day is the increasing number of youth who 
help to make up the awful account. The causes (as 
given) are painfully interesting. From the accounts 
before us we select the following : 

One " pair of lovers," Twenty and Fifteen years of 
age, respectively — because objection was made to their 
marriage ; another youth, because the girl of his choice 
would not marry him ; a girl, because she had warts ; 
a youth, because his father reprimanded him ; another, 
because he was required to rise earlier than 8 or 9 
o'clock ; one, each in New York and Philadelphia, to 
avoid a whipping; one youth of Eleven years, cause 
unknown ; another, because of the death of his dog ; 
one, nine years of age, to avoid the House of Refuge ! 

Here are immediate causes given, or reasons assigned 
why Eleven families should be suddenly plunged into 
mourning, and fond mothers with aching hearts in the 
night watches made to inquire, Why, oh, why is it 
thus ? The best moral philosophers do not like to say 
they can answer the question directly and fully. The 
subject, however, is of such great importance, that we 
take the liberty to note a few facts and see whether 
any cause may be discovered, and a remedy suggested. 
It is very plain that these young suicides were head- 
strong or nerve-wrecked and that either condition of 
mind tends to low morals. Taken as a representative 
class and generation, we may say, they are children of 
the first generation in the history of the country who 
became largely used to luxury and what is known as 
"fast living." Tobacco and intoxicating drinks were 
largely increased and freely used. These poison the 
blood and wreck the nervous system, while the effect is 



356 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

to demoralize society, present and prospective, as witness 
the outcome of it — the morals of the rising generation ! 

Here, Candid Reader excuses his slow (but he is 
sure) way of understanding things, and says he " fails 
to see how the youth in question should become so 
dissipated at such an early age." Perhaps we can 
furnish him with one line of facts that will suggest all 
the others. Neighbor A, who lives around the corner, 
has several children who inhale tobacco smoke contin- 
ually when at home, and are allowed to " sip " the 
strong beer which is brought into the family. Farther 
up the street there lives a prominent man who lectures 
eloquently in favor of temperance — " Prohibition," even 
— and returns home to immediately enjoy himself in 
puffing the twirling rings of smoke from his cigar, 
among his boys whose ages range between the first 
suit of jacket and trousers and an incipient moustache. 

There is, also, a devoted Church member who, after 
edifying his hearers by his earnest eloquence in prayer 
for their sons, and his own, as well, goes home and sets 
the same example, and which his boys will surely fol- 
low, rather than accept his precepts or regard his edicts 
against tobacco. And there is Dr. Shortsight, too, who 
is inconsistent enough to do the same thing, when he 
knows — or ought to — that about Three-fourths of all 
those boys will be drinkers of beer or whisky if they 
live Eight years ! [This exposes the tap root of mod- 
ern INTEMPERANCE.] 

Now, Candid, seeing you have prompted us to beard 
the old lion in his den, we shall capture his cubs by in- 
forming you that very many men carry the tobacco 
craze so far as to force their babies to use it f Seven 
years later they whip them for using it ! When an- 
other Seven years have passed, if they are alive, many 
of their wan faces and haggard looks will show that 
they still use it, and that they belong to the class of 



ITS PHENOMENA. 357 

wrecks which we are considering ! [Mothers mill please 
noticed] 

But we must tell you how those babies were forced 
to use tobacco ! Their mothers very unwisely allowed 
its vile gases, or smoke, to mingle with the air which 
the tender babes were obliged to inhale ; and when 
they became dizzy and sick enough to reject, and even 
eject their food, opium in some form was given which 
out-poisoned the other poison and they — slept. Do not 
good angels weep, and demons hold high carnival over 
such scenes, since they know their result ? In spite of 
all such treatment, Two out of every Three live until 
they are Seven years of age ! ! 

Now, is it a wonder that many of the survivors of 
the first Seven years should, at the end of the second 
seven, become nerve-wrecked and so sensitive that 
when their desires were crossed they should be tempted 
to suicide? Not having heeded good counsel from 
others, but 

Trained to smoke and beer 

And treatment oft severe, 

Each, sometimes, dropped a tear 

And sadly asked, "Why am I here?" 

But Honest Skeptic fears that our sub-topic will part 
company with the main subject, and he interrupts 
thus : " There is Pith, Point, Pertinency and Philoso- 
phy in your remarks, but what has tobacco-wrecked 
youth to do with Spiritualism ? We answer, Nothing ; 
but Mbdern Spiritualism, considering its colossal 
claims for moral Reform and popularity, should have 
enough to do with this class of youth to check their im- 
moral career, but we are showing it to be worse than a 
failure ! We have traced a large per cent, of youth 
from birth to manhood and find that in spite of these 



358 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

claims we must admit the horrid fact that many have 
become disgusted with life in life's early morn, and 
that in their despondency such have asked, " Why am 
I here?" 

In such a state of mind the youth soon finds that his 
extremity is a demon's opportunity to impress upon his 
mind two salient points of Spiritualism, viz. : "not ac- 
countable to any being but self" and "progression, after 
death, to a state of angelic purity." He then correlates 
his miserable question with the terribly suggestive an- 
swer, U I will not be here!" Being now under the in- 
fluence of the demon, he straightway kills himself, and 
thus proves himself a Destroying medium ! Such cases 
are typical ones, the philosophy of which explains 
many murders as well. It has been shown that the 
fundamental principles of Spiritualism have no power 
to restrain those who are inclined to do wrong, but 
rather to encourage them in so doing, if they choose to 
accept the letter of its text, rather than the example 
of good citizens who accept, or allow the theory, but 
practise a better one. 

The foregoing facts and remarks apply in a general 
sense to adult suicides as well. They are the body of 
which at present youthful suicides are a wing. The 
class of persons which we first noticed are responsible, 
because they are sane. The second class are not re- 
sponsible, because insane. The class under considera- 
tion were, we believe, responsible, even if insane at the 
moment of the act, by " control," or obsession, inas- 
much as they knew better than to "yield themselves 
servants to obey " any principle, person or "spirit " 
who should suggest murder or suicide for their favor- 
able consideration. 

The civil law does not excuse a man for committing 
murder because he was made "temporarily insane" by 
intoxicating spirits, and he should be held equally re- 



ITS PHENOMENA. 359 

sponsible for being made temporarily insane by " evil 
spirits," who often pretend to be " human spirits." Di- 
vine law condemns both crimes, calling one class 
" drunkards " and the other " sorcerers." A man can 
resist temptation to use either kind of spirits by ac- 
cepting Bible teachings to practise them. 

Coroner Ashbridge, of Philadelphia, as reported in 
the Record, July 1, 1888, said : 

Suicides are on the increase, and unless some very rigid 
means of preventing them shall be adopted the inevitable re- 
sult in future years is something fearful to contemplate. Every 
report upon this subject that has come under my observation 
within the past few years has shown an increase in figures, and 
every once in a while some new method of self-destruction is 
invented by persons who, tired of battling with the world for 
means of subsistence, or weighed down in spirit by some over- 
whelming loss, seek death by their own hands as a relief from 
mental torture. 

It will be seen that the class of suicides here alluded 
to is identical with class One in our series, and which 
are responsible. Further on the Coroner notes the 
fact that a " new method " is soon imitated by others. 
This is often true, and is, we think, analogous to " sug- 
gestion," as practised by psychologists, in human mag- 
netism, and is important when looking for success, as 
the sensitive subject acts at once upon the suggestion 
of mind and speeeh, and even of the mind when the 
speech is contrary to it ! This phenomenon is one phase 
of Human Magnetism. Now, this class of suicides 
constitute a monotonous panorama of phenomena, be- 
ing constantly recurring acts in nature, against nature, 
in spite of nature, and therefore supernatural, as well 
as unnatural. The Bible shows clearly that this su- 
perhuman power is exerted by demons ; hence it is one 
phase of Demon Magnetism. 

On being asked to give the cause of the increase of 



360 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

suicides, Coroner Ashbridge said : " That is a puzzler ; 
as different authorities upon the subject do not agree." 
Very true, but why is it true? It is because they 
ignore Bible teachings on the subject, albeit many will 
readily accept and adopt them in other important 
questions. This is very inconsistent, and also very 
unprofitable, if " points " are desired in ethics and 
metaphysics. [Note this : it is Bible teachings — not 
things which are either not mentioned, or are con- 
demned by them.] 

We have no trouble in accounting for it, but those 
who think to do so by accepting the ipse dixit of lying 
" spirits," must broaden their " liberality " and stretch 
their credulity to begin with, and then fight scriptural 
facts and logical deductions while life lasts ; because 
ALL SPIRITS who claim, to be of human origin will 
prove themselves false if thoroughly and properly inter- 
viewed. This assertion will stand for correctness as 
long as Abraham Lincoln's, when he said : 

"A man may deceive all the people a part of the time, 
he may deceive a part of the people all of the time ; but 
he cannot deceive all of the people all of the time." 

So with demons. In further expressing his views 
concerning; suicides that imitate others, Coroner Ash- 
bridge says : "A person might be led to believe that 
only weak-minded people commit suicide ; but such, in 
fact, is not the case. A weak-minded man is, in my 
opinion, almost always a coward, and the coward who 
plucked up courage to deprive himself of his own life 
by his own hands is yet to be heard of." 

This opinion is a point, as it comes from one who has 
special opportunities for observation and information 
pertaining to suicide, and does, as far as it goes, agree 
with Scripture Teachings and Known Facts, and thus 
points toward a solution of the " puzzle." It brings to 
view the class we are treating upon (class Three) — 



ITS PHENOMENA. 361 

those who; though they kill themselves, do it in spite 
of themselves, and yet are morally responsible for their 
own murder! 

" What strange talk ! What a crank ! " exclaims 
Radical Ghostman. But, Raddie, the Japanese say that 
" Patience will cure every ill." Let us explain. This 
class of suicides do not, neither do their circumstances, 
suggest a forcible or plausible reason why they should 
suicide. Mr. Ashbridge cites several cases in the arti- 
cle from which we quote, and concludes the last one 
thus: 

There was no reason why she should have hanged herself. 
Her home life was pleasant, not in the least marred by infelici- 
ties of any kind, and her every wish was gratified by a domesti- 
cated and indulgent husband. 

Now it seems to me that in cases of the kind that I have 
just cited there must be some subtle power within a woman that, 
in spite of herself, forces her to do these silly things — to emulate 
an example, however bad, set by another, and carry it to the 
utmost extremes. In nine cases out of ten persons commit 
suicide, it would seem, involuntarily, and for no other reason 
than that they have little else to think about, and are driven to 
it by some irresistible and unaccountable force. 

Please notice the Coroners very suggestive language 
— a " subtle power'' that " in spite of themselves'' forces 
them to destroy themselves without so much as an ex- 
cuse for it, in many cases ; nor is this because of a lack 
of intelligence in most cases, while some are actually 
educated. " Nine persons out of ten " who commit 
suicide, the Coroner thinks, do so INVOLUNTARILY 
"BY SOME IRRESISTIBLE AND UNACCOUNT- 
ABLE FORCE ! " 

In this seemingly large ratio Mr. Ashbridge doubt- 
less embraces our classes, Two and Three, in one, leav- 
ing One-Tenth to the sane suicide account, which is, 
perhaps, a fair estimate in making Two classes, although 
we make Three. 



362 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Here, we ask a pertinent question, which is also an 
important one : Can this class of suicides be intelli- 
gently accounted for? Now hear the answers among 
our readers : " No ; "— " Yes ; "— " Yes, Sir I "— " No- 
body can do it ; " "/ can't," and the like. We vote 
yes, on the question, but ere we do so, we want to 
mention the class who cannot do it, no matter what 
their position, erudition and titles may aggregate in 
their golden censer of wisdom : it is the class who 
ignore the teachings of the Bible concerning inter- 
mediate beings, or angels, both good and evil. The 
last named are called demons. 

Now, we accept these teachings on the evidences 
which we have presented (and others), and entertain 
no doubt of their correctness. We find, too, that jour- 
nalists and other thoughtful men who, -though they do 
not risk a conclusion, do admit that some superior mind- 
force, or " irresistible " power, urged those " weak- 
minded " persons on to suicide ; and they are correct, 
thus far. We carry their ideas to a conclusion by claim- 
ing that demons controlled those persons temporarily, 
when conditions were favorable, so that in spite of 
themselves and their best interests, they destroyed 
themselves. A Boston editor tells us that " it is the 
testimony of persons rescued from attempts at suicide, 
that at the moment when they gave way to the tempta- 
tion there came upon them a tremendous and irresistible 
poiver, almost literally pushing them to the terrible 
deed ! " 

We care not whether you call this power, " control," 
" possession," or " obsession," it was psychological (be- 
cause intelligent) force exerted upon morally weaker 
minds on the very first opportunity. This is De- 
mon Magnetism; it always makes some kind of me- 
diums of its subjects, but in their cases, it made De- 



ITS PHENOMENA. 363 

• 

stroying mediums ; hence they took the direct route to 
Destruction. 

There are indirect routes via Rapping, Trance, Ma- 
terialization and other lines of mediumship claiming to 
be directed by " disembodied spirits," but many intelli- 
gent people will sooner or later discover that they con- 
verge, and find their terminus in Destruction, and that 
they have been deceived by the Directors ("spirits"), 
who were demons in disguise. 

We now call attention to the following list of reasons 
given, either by suicides themselves or by juries of in- 
quest, for self-destruction. We have selected these 
from many published accounts which will represent the 
class we are treating upon, and, indeed, murderers as 
well. They are as follows : 

" Temporarily insane." 

" No motive can be assigned." 

" Came about by a sudden impulse." 

" Irresistible impulse." — Guiteau. 

" I couldn't help it." — J. Pomeroy. 

" Apparent insanity." 

" No apparent cause." 

" Semi-religious." 

* Committed when asleep or when reason was dethroned." 

" No especial motive except to follow a vicious inclination." 

" Some mysterious mental influence." 

11 Had an irresistible impression." 

" Mother and I are insane." 

11 Religious excitement." 

These are mainly excuses rather than reasons. They 
intimate a desire to waive moral responsibility, and 
seem like a kind of hollow shout for " no-accountabil- 
ity," but will not pass current at the judgment of the 
great day. If asked why we quote " semi-religious," 
as given for an excuse, we answer that persons who are 
" semi-religious," that is, half religious, are liable to do 
many bad things, especially when urged on by demon 



364 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

• 

influence. " Religious excitement," too, does not prove 
religion, and the fact' of its being connected with sui- 
cide, as quoted, proves irreligion in that case. Surely, 
demons control this class of suicides. 

When commenting upon the execution of Mrs. Druse, 
in the State of New York, the Banner of Light, March 
5, 1887, says : 

Thus another human being has been suddenly ushered into 
the spirit world filled with hate upon those instrumental in sending 
her there, where she does not belong, and should not have gone 
until nature had fulfilled its mission in this respect. She com- 
mitted a great crime, to be sure. She never would have done 
so had she not possessed a fiendish disposition to begin with. 
She is now free — free to return to earth, and, through psycholog- 
ical laws, be instrumental in having other murders committed 
— simply out of revenge for being taken off in the manner she 
was. 

This is instructive in that it shows that Spiritualism 
teaches that disembodied ( ? ) human spirits may be 
fierce, and also goaded on by revenge ! It is also ter- 
ribly suggestive of the poignancy of grief in the hearts 
of relatives when they realize that one of their family 
— and who perhaps occupied the place of a dear friend 
— is in such a position, and suffering such a condition 
of mind, " it may be for a great length of time," as we 
shall soon quote from a " spirit," as claimed. 

The following paragraph, taken from the Banner, is 
backed up by the " spirits." The " controlling spirit," 
— as claimed — at a regular seance held in the Banner 
of Light office, January 7, 1887, when answering B. 
C. Reed, said : 

But if conditions open the way for such an evil spirit to en- 
croach upon the sensitive, it may improve the opportunity of 
doing so, and, ingulfing the susceptible instrument within its 
own atmosphere, impress his mind with its own evil tendencies 



ITS PHENOMENA. 365 

and inclinations, and influence him to commit a murderous 
deed, or exhibit some other evil, malicious trait to mortals." 

If our readers have read carefully, they are now able 
to see how cruelly mean is such demon talk, when 
compared with God's plan for man's happiness, as found 
in Bible teachings. 

Believing that the candid student is entitled to one 
specimen of direct "spirit" teaching on the subject of 
suicide, we reprint the following question and answer, 
as reported in the Banner of Light, December 18, 1886 : 

Q. — [By an inquirer.] We have been told by some mediums 
that a person who has committed suicide remains in a dark, 
despondent state in the next life till brought out of that condi- 
tion. By what means that is done will you please state ? 

A. — A spirit who has taken its own physical life is generally 
in a morbid condition of mind, both before the committal of 
the deed and succeeding it. Such a spirit is restless, unhappy, 
not satisfied with himself. This state of mind probably impels 
him, on earth, to make an end of his physical existence, and it 
continues to move him after he has passed from the body ; he 
finds himself still an unhappy, discordant individual. 

Such a spirit may remain in this condition for a great length 
of time. It may be that he will become so thoroughly dis- 
gusted with himself for not having had the moral stamina to 
remain on earth and cope with its difficulties, as to embitter his 
spiritual life to an extent. He holds himself closely attracted 
to former scenes and associations, and has no desire to rise 
above them ; he knows nothing of the truly spiritual state, and 
thus he continues to live in contact with the bodily conditions, 
even though he has become dissevered from the physical form. 

While there are many tender, sympathetic, loving spirits, 
who will do all in their power to assist the unhappy one, by 
drawing his mind to a higher contemplation of life and attract- 
ing him to purer, broader scenes of thought and labor, yet it 
rests largely with himself whether or no he responds to them ; 
and unless he does so with full accord, with an earnest 'desire 
to rise, to be free, to mount upward and to leave the material 
behind him, he will not be able to take advantage of their prof- 
fered assistance. When his mind is brought to a condition 
whereby he can respond to these helpers and turn himself away 



366 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

from past contemplations, with a sincere desire to live for the 
future and do his duty, gain what experience his soul requires, 
he will then be able to mount upward, gaining constantly new 
experience, new contemplation of life, a higher and diviner 
state of being, and come into the companionship of pure, wise, 
unselfish spirits, seeking to become like them. Thus he will 
grow happy and be at peace. 

It will be seen that the demons teach that even the 
suicide will finally " grow happy and be at peace ! " 

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul, i. e., " Ye 
shall not surely die" forms the mud-sills of each and 
every part of the great edifice of Spiritualism, and as 
this teaches " no accountability to any one but self," 
and " progression after death " to angelic purity, surely 
such "a firm belief in immortality" would be a weak 
barrier T:o suicide ! On the contrary, what better po- 
sition could be taken to favor it? Judge Ashman 
judged well when he said: "The belief in Spiritual- 
ism would have the effect of taking from the would-be 
suicide the terror of death." 

This does by no means prove that regular, active, 
staunch Spiritualists will become suicides ; but we do 
expect to find that where the theory or philosophy of 
Modern Spiritualism is accepted and taught, there will 
be hearers who are not staunch, morally, and who, when 
they are life-weary and so disheartened that " desire 
fails," will suddenly accept the teachings that suit their 
troubles best, and then destroy themselves at once. 
Rejecting the Bible, many are becoming Destroying 
mediums. 

At this point we wish to introduce an article on 
" Obsession," which we deferred when discussing that 
point elsewhere. We clipped it nearly eighteen years 
ago. Its suggestions were important then, and are none 
the less so now. It pertains to murder as well as to 
suicide, and is not foreign to insanity. The article is 



ITS PHENOMENA. 367 

an editorial which appeared in the Boston Herald, 
Tuesday, June 1, 1875. The following is a reprint, 
with interspersed comments : 

Some of the most distinguished preachers in this city, in their 
discourses on Sunday, accounted in a precisely similar manner 
for the wave of crime and disaster which is now sweeping over 
the country — over the world, in fact — as did the speakers at the 
Spiritualists' Convention at Rochester Hall, on Saturday last. 
Notable among remarks on the subject are those of Rev. Dr. 
Lorimer, who attributed the evil deeds of the day to the active 
presence among men of demons, or evil spirits, who personally 
were constantly and persistently influencing and inciting to 
wrong courses. 

This is the exact ground occupied by advanced believers in 
Spiritualism, although the two parties in belief are at opposite 
extremes in practice and deduce far different conclusions from 
the facts which they alike recognize. If the fact of Obsession 
shall become generally recognized — as we apprehend it is not 
at present — a revolution must surely ensue in the lives and 
practices of those who have heretofore supposed that their 
movement toward right and wrong resulted from innate in- 
stincts of their own, made active by seen and known influences 
and circumstances with which they are brought in contact. 

Here is quite a puzzle for those who are unlearned 
in this matter, and we are glad to explain it. It is al- 
most an infinite difference without a distinction — both 
parties using the same terms, when widely different 
things are meant ! Dr. Lorimer uses the term " de- 
mons," and explains it by saying " or evil spirits" 
Evil spirits and evil angels are synonymous terms ; 
that is, they have the same meaning in the Scriptures, 
which teach that they were made before man was 
made, hence they can be no part of him I They are 
in modern times known as demons. Spiritualism, 
which ignores the Bible account of angels, claims that 
evil spirits or demons are " spirits " of evil men whose 
bodies are dead ! Such ideas we have plainly shown to 
be mythical in their origin, false in detail, and are 



368 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

mentioned in the Bible only to be condemned by its 
teachings. Surely, the difference between a mythical 
idea, and intelligent beings who were made prior and 
superior to man, may be said to be almost infinite. The 
Bible account is correct. 

" The fact of Obsession " — Demon Magnetism — is 
being oftener considered than when our quotation from 
the Herald was printed, because u Spiritual phenomena" 
have not been proved to be "human humbug" albeit im- 
itations of them have often been so proved. The savants 
of the land have, therefore, been hard pressed to ac- 
count for some undeniable facts in that direction. Dr. 
Lorirner's position will enable him to do this if he ig- 
nores Satan's theology. ALWAYS REMEMBER that 
Bible must not be confounded with Bible history teach- 
ings. The one is a line of truths. The other is in part 
God's account of Satan's Omnium Gatherum of decep- 
tions with Gen. 3 : 4, as a [mis] leading card. But the 
Herald proceeds : 

The declaration of Dr. Lorimer, that unseen powers of dark- 
ness are the principal agents in the commission of crime, work- 
ing through men and women who have become reckless and 
careless, and that of Miss Lizzie Doten to precisely the same 
effect, will if received, irresistibly draw attention to the warfare 
which must be recognized as entering into men's lives, and the 
amount of responsibility incurred by every individual. And 
very singularly this theory is already applied, in many in- 
stances. 

Dr. Gardner, at the Spiritualists' Convention, insisted that 
Jesse Pomeroy and persons of his class and crimes should be 
put out of existence, so far as this life is concerned, and that 
speedily. Another speaker was equally certain that no such 
implied addition should be made to the host of demons, who, 
unseen, may work constantly upon those still in the flesh, and 
thus prove more terrible adversaries in their death than in their 
life. 

The doctrine set forth in the above paragraph, with 



ITS PHENOMENA. 369 

what it suggests, is enough to make a reasonable man 
shudder, and when we consider that such claims and 
speculations are ALL based upon Serpent-to-Dve theol- 
ogy, we wonder that many persons bestow upon this 
all-important topic less wise thought than their ordinary 
affairs receive, and thus unwisely accept fables, when 
practical facts and theories are available. 

Both extremes on the question take the ground that this may 
be the result, and the only alleviating theory presented is that 
of some Spiritualists who say that such demons may be better 
taken care of " on the other side " than in this world. 

As if executioners, murderers, and suicides could 
" farm out " their " evil spirits " to the asylums " on the 
other side," which are run by "disembodied spirits" — 
as claimed — when in fact such things or conditions. 
never did, do not, and never can exist in this world,, 
for reasons plainly given in this work ! The Herald 
continues : 

The main point in this question of obsession, is, of course, 
that of individual responsibility. Dr. Lorimer and the class of 
thinkers .he represents will insist that A man should prove 

HIMSELF ON THE SIDE OF RIGHT IN SPITE OF ANY AND ALL INFLU- 
ENCES, KNOWN AND UNKNOWN. 

The sentiment which the Herald has here expressed 
and waived in favor of Dr. Lorimer, " and his class," 
we have placed in capitals, and only regret that we 
could not set it in letters of gold. It is the grandest, 
as it is the best sentiment known in ethics, and without 
which as a motor principle, no person, because of being: 
good, remains with the social minority. It is a con- 
densed epitome of Bible teachings, ethically considered. 
It will require us to solve " this question of obsession " 
by imputing the control to demons, or evil angels, only. 
[Not human spirits.] 

24 



370 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

It will also keep us out of their clutches, even though 
they come in the disguise of " disembodied spirits " and 
do miracles to make us believe, if possible, by any phase 
of mediumship that there is " no death," " no resurrec- 
tion of the body," " no Saviour," " no general Judg- 
ment;" hence no accountability, "no personal God" — 
practically no God " outside of ourselves ! " This is 
" spirit " teachings, and the way to " everlasting death." 
[Not eternal misery.] 

Moreover, there are many persons who are never en- 
ticed by the wonders of Spiritual Phenomena, as 
usually presented, neither do they accept Christianity. 
These also, the demons would destroy, hence, they suc- 
ceed in making them "temporarily" mad, when they 
quickly destroy themselves or others, and it is now 
common for them to do both, with little or no excuse 
for doing so. By comparing this phenomenon with the 
Twenty-two phases previously given, in the light of 
Scripture and Known facts, we readily discover the an- 
alogy existing between all of them in the very impor- 
tant matters of motive and motor power, as well as con- 
ditions demanded, and results obtained. It is very 
clear that this is as certainly Spiritual Phenomena as 
are the phases previously noted. In our investigations 
we notice, First, That the object, as a finality, is the 
same, while Second, It is a much shorter method ; and 
Third, This class might not be secured (for destruction) 
in any other way. Verily, it is Demon Magnetism, pro- 
ducing ghastly phenomena by the hands of Destroying 
mediums. Very important notes in relation to this 
part of the present article will be found in our next arti- 
cle, which will notice the subject of Insanity. [This 
method saves repetition.] 

The Herald concludes with the following important 
suggestions : 

PC 1 



ITS PHENOMENA. 371 

But meanwhile, the tendency to a belief in Fatalism, which 
is at the bottom of much of the wrong-doing existing at pres- 
ent, may be vastly strengthened by these views imperfectly 
understood, and the text will bear enlargement. [Emphasis 
is ours.] 

We would as soon break any precept in the Deca- 
logue as teach that any Fatalism, Predestination or 
Decree, of Divine origin will in any wise conflict with 
man's free choice, in a moral sense. We have little 
patience with such teachers, and less with their God- 
dishonoring doctrines. As well tell a sea captain, who 
had on a certain day sailed east from Honolulu and 
kept an average easterly course by which he arrived at 
the same port, that the earth is flat ! God's decrees 
meet mans free choice, and take it aboard, so to speak, 
thus securing for him immortality, IF GOOD, but cer- 
tain destruction if he chooses evil. 

If God's decrees should " telescope" mans free choice, 
there would be disaster ; and so, too, if they should lap 
or pass by ; indeed, if they should not proceed far 
enough, there would be a failure. Under the sound 
of the Gospel, man's free choice, morally, is met by 
God's Decrees, but never demolished by them ; hence, 
there is no moral Fatalism that is against man, that he 
does not make for himself. Let all doubtful ones ex- 
amine the subject and be satisfied and comforted by see- 
ing that God is just, in this matter. 

But while we admit with the Herald that Fatalism 
favors- crime and suicide through discouragement, and 
have shown that it is not taught in the Gospel, we ask 
candidly, What ought we to expect as the result of 
Forty-five years teaching of such doctrines as the fol- 
lowing brief colloquy introduces to an already sinful 
world ? It purports to come direct from Spiritualism's 
head-quarters — " spirit-land ; " as we shall see by the 
following which is part of a seance report as published 



372 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

in the Banner of Light, May 28, 1864. It is as fol- 
lows : 

Q. — To whom or to what is the soul accountable ? 

A. — To no Deity outside the realm of its own being, certainly ; 
to no God which is a creation of fancy ; to no Deity who dwells 
in a far-off heaven, and sits upon a white throne ; to no Jesus 
of Nazareth ; to no patron saint ; to no personality ; to no prin- 
ciple outside our own individual selves. [The same is compre- ! - 
hended in " Declaration of Principles." See next Topic] 

Now, will some person — scholar or otherwise — please 
mention some precept or sentiment that can be logic- 
ally inferred, inducted, abstracted, or even forcibly 
wrenched from this " spirit land " production, that can 
morally encourage and help the toil-worn laborer who 
is struggling in poverty to avoid abject poverty and 
crime, and thus enable him to reach a higher plane of 
usefulness and happiness? Despairing of an "early 
answer," we ask again : If, after many struggles and 
failures, the poor man alluded to, becomes disheartened 
and is tempted on every hand, what can he find in the 
doctrine quoted to restrain him from suicide, seeing it 
is straight no-accountability doctrine ? Not one idea ! 

Yet once more — Thirdly — suppose the man in ques- 
tion, who is now in a more depressed state of mind than 
ever, should read and accept the teaching of the pre- 
viously quoted " spirit," in this connection, viz., that 
the " spirit " of a suicide will, in the spirit world, some 
time, "grow happy and be at peace!' Is he not at once 
encouraged to take his life in the hope that his troubled 
" spirit " will find relief, and soon begin to " progress " 
toward " angelic purity ? " And woxdd it not be consist- 
ent with the theory to take his suffering and discouraged 
wife and little children along with him for the same 
reasons ? For illustrations of this horrid theory, by De- 
stroying mediums, see the daily papers ! 



ITS PHENOMENA. 373 

Look again at the " spirit " talk in our quotation. 
Here is a " spirit " or power that exalteth himself 

ABOVE ALL THAT IS CALLED GOD, OR THAT IS WORSHIPPED ; 

so that he as God sitteth in his temple (self) as God, 
showing that he has exalted himself above God ! Please 
compare this with 2 Thess. 2 : 4, and then notice again 
the points in the "spirit" article under consideration. 
It plainly teaches that the soul — claimed to be the real 
man — "is accountable to no Deity outside the realm of 
its own being " — " to no God " — " to no Jesus of Naza- 
reth " — " to no personality " (thus denying angels) — 
" to no principle outside oar own individual selves ! " 

Now, is it a wonder that murder and suicide increase 
faster than the population ? Is it not true that if such 
doctrines were generally accepted our land would soon 
be depopulated ? What saved France from such a fate 
near the closing of the last century ? Had France not 
reinstated the Bible, there would have been no France 
to-day. She would have become one great suicide, and 
her neighbors would have secured her remains at once. 
"No God ! " Why, this is worse than the Devil talked 
in Eden, since he spoke of God as " knowing" certain 
things (Gen. 3:5), and he did not deny Him ! ! Nev- 
ertheless, after nearly 6,000 years he allows u his angels " 
to do so, and we are refuting their pernicious doctrines, 

A few notes and points more, and we will drop this 
evil subject, only to take up another bad one, but it 
must be noticed. In the matter of suicide, it has been 
proved by illustrations that many young persons — -and 
even many who are older — may get so intensely inter- 
ested in accounts of suicides as to acquire a morbid 
desire to read or hear the ghastly details over and over, 
until nothing else pleases or satisfies them so much ! 
Such persons will soon suicide if they do not radically 
and immediately change their cuarent of thought by 



374 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

change of scene, associations, reading, and general ob- 
jects in life, so as to fix a correct moral principle. 

Failing to do this, and pursuing the former course, 
would be simply " sitting for " or " developing medium- 
ship! " And what hind of mediumship, do you think, 
reader? Nothing less than Destroying Mediumship, 
and as soon as the subject was under " control," he (or 
she) would straightway commit murder or suicide, or 
both ! Truly, 

Sin is a creature of such frightful mien, 
That to be hated, needs but to be seen ; 
Yet, seen too oft, familiar with her face, 
We first endure, then pity, then embrace ! 

The following " curiously interesting facts about sui- 
cides " are taken from " The Times Almanac," Phila- 
delphia, for the year 1887. It will be seen that they 
are National Statistics : 

In Denmark there are 280 per million inhabitants, the highest 
number in the world; in Switzerland 202, France 156, Germany 
143, United States 142, Australia 105, Austria 96, Sweden and 
Norway 81, Belgium 71, United Kingdom 56, Italy 37, Russia 
25, and Spain 14. It is customary to refer to Russia and Ire- 
land as downtrodden by the unjust laws, yet it appears that 
comparatively few in either country resort to suicide as a way 
out of their difficulties. 

It is also remarkable that very few colored people 
commit suicide. 

Dr. Roberts says that suicide " attacks the two ex- 
tremes of life — the rich and the poor — and claims three 
times as many men as women ; " and that " in Phila- 
delphia, in 1878, there was one case of suicide to every 
14,000 inhabitants." The Records of 1888 show nearly 
one to every 10,000 ! This is a terrible average in- 
crease, and it is fast increasing ! The following is a 



ITS PHENOMENA. 375 

recent journalistic wail over the general fact, by the 
Philadelphia Evening Star, June 10, 1889 : 

SUICIDE IN THE AIR. 

A Mania for Self-Destruction Appears to Pervade the 

Atmosphere. 

New York, June 10. — It would seem that the atmosphere 
about this city is at present charged with some strange influence 
that impels people to commit suicide. The past week has been 
remarkably prolific in the number of cases of self-destruction 
recorded in this city. Strangely enough the European conti- 
nent is being visited by a somewhat similar mania. The 
record in Vienna and Paris, particularly, was far above the 
average for the past month, the former city alone reaching the 
high figure of fifty -three. 

This is a long remove from verifying the promise of 
Judge Jaubert (see Insanity), that "Suicide will be 
erased from our mortuary tables" under the teachings 
of Spiritualism ! 

The following statistics were clipped from the Chicago 
Tribune of Jan. 1, 1893 : 

A CONTINUED INCREASE IN THE GHASTLY LISTS DURING 

THE YEAR. 

The number of persons who have committed suicide in the 
United States during the year (1892), as gathered from telegraph 
and mail report to the Tribune, is 3,860, as compared with 3,331 
last year, 2,640 in 1890, and 2,224 in 1889. The total is much 
larger than that of any of the eleven preceding years. Of this 
number 3,055 were males and 805 females. It is somewhat re- 
markable that physicians continue to head the list of promi- 
nent persons who have taken their own lives. Last year there 
were 23 physicians and 12 clergymen in the sad catalogue, 
while this year there are 37 physicians and 11 clergymen. The 
causes of suicide were as follows : 

Despondency 1,463 

Unknown 684 

Insanity 520 



376 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Domestic infelicity 296 

Liquor 315 

Disappointed love f. 249 

111 health 278 

Business losses 55 



By casting the ratio of yearly increase of suicide we 
become dazed, disgusted, and appalled ; and this con- 
dition of mind is only intensified when we consider how 
little effort is made by Moralists and Reformers of 
every name and grade to find out the cause of it — for 
cause there surely is — so that a way may be devised to 
stay the hand of the Destroyer : aye, that of the De- 
stroying Medium, he who is doing a large per cent, of 
this " ghastly " business — no, not business, but crime. 

Thinking that it may stir some easy-going " Re- 
formers" to action we will show them what their 
neighbors are doing around them. 

The Philadelphia Record of Oct., 1890, has the fol- 
lowing despatch : 

A SUICIDE CLUB'S MANDATE. 

EMIL ZIEMSKE SWELLS ITS LIST OF DEAD VICTIMS TO TWENTY. 

Bridgeport, Conn., Oct. 18. — Emil Ziemske, a photographer's 
assistant, another member of the Suicide Club, has carried out the 
edict of that order by taking cyanide of potash. At 11.40 o'clock 
last night he went to Chris Knoedler's State street drug store, 
got and drank a glass of whisky, then asked for a glass of water, 
dropped a lump of cyanide of potash into it and, swallowing 
the poison, ran out of the store and before going a block fell. 
The ambulance was called, but before Ziemske reached the 
hospital he died. He was 47 years old and had been a mem- 
ber of the Suicide Club for nine months. The tragic act that 
ended his life was ordered by ballot to be consummated " be- 
fore the next meeting, on Saturday night, October 18." 

history of the awful order. 
The first published account of the Bridgeport Suicide Club 



ITS PHENOMENA. 377 

appeared two years ago, after which it became famous, and 
from time to time the taking off of its members has been duly 
chronicled. Early last spring William F. Maby, United States 
letter-carrier, killed himself; Wendle Baum next shot him- 
self, and Joseph Koop followed by hanging himself. All were 
members of the Suicide Club. These last three rolled up the 
suicides to nearly a score, and, before Ziemske joined, reduced 
the membership to President and Secretary, who are exempt 
from self-destruction. 

ANOTHER VICTIM SINGLED OUT. 

At a meeting to-night the Suicide Club commemorated 
Ziemske's taking off with a fitting memorial to be- placed in the 
secret archives of the order. Then a ballot was taken appoint- 
ing the next brother who must destroy himself within the 
year. This time, as heretofore, the result of the ballot was 
kept a profound secret. 

It is safe to say that 400,000 persons read this 
article — say, Candid Reader, What will you say and 
do about it ? 

Another straw (?) which shows the direction of the 
moral wind is seen in the Philadelphia Press, July 3, 
1890 — nearly the same date — as follows : 

SUICIDE GROWN EPIDEMIC. 

SIX PERSONS DESTROYED THEMSELVES WITHIN FORTY- 
EIGHT HOURS. 

Phases of Deadly Despair. 

Six Philadelphians commit suicide within forty -eight hours ! 
What a record ! what cowardice, suffering, misery ! And yet 
the busy world reads for a moment, mutters " poor devils ! " 
and in fifteen minutes forgets the whole affair. 

Nobody has been able to settle definitely the reason why so 
many suicides occur in hot weather. There must be some 
reason .... 

Yes, Dear Press, there are reasons for this horrid 
work, and there will be much of it for Social Science 



378 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

savants ere they shall successfully cope with the prob- 
lem without the helps which we have employed, es- 
pecially that of Scripture teachings. 

It is a remarkable fact that nearly all suicides have 
adopted, assented to, or more or less believed in the 
dogma of eternal misery ! If we have said this before, 
it is well. 

It is also a very noteworthy fact that believers in 
Conditional Immortality — that is, that man gets 

IMMORTALITY THROUGH CHRIST, ONLY, which is' the ONLY 

immortality taught, or even mentioned in Bible teach- 
ings — seldom destroy themselves ! We can give satis- 
factory reasons for stating that there are scattered 
among the various Churches and communities in the 
United States and Canada, nearly 500,000 believers in 
and assenters to this important Truth ; and after much 
effort, have found but one murder, and only one suicide 
among them ! [Note thisJ] 

All persons should quickly say an uncompromising 
NO, to any temptation to suicide, because 

It is against man, and opposed to his nature ; 

It is against God, and hardens society ; 

It breaks up homes, and crushes fond hopes; 

It make widows, and causes human distrust; 

It makes many orphans, for whom parents mourn ; 

It is a stereotyped sin, when successfully planned ; 

It is the keystone crime in the criminal arch ; 

It is Satan's triumph over man, in each individual 

CASE ! 

INSANITY—" TEMPORARY INSANITY." 

The question whether or not Insanity has been 
increased by the teachings, and demonstrations of 
Modern Spiritualism has been discussed by Theologians, 
Physicians and Metaphysicians. Very naturally, 
Spiritualists have always denied the charge whenever 



ITS PHENOMENA. 379 

made against their theory. By the term, insanity, as 
here used, we mean those cases which have defied 
treatment, and thus become chronic subjects in the 
various Asylums provided for them. It is well known 
that a sudden shock of the rnind through the brain, by 
the sight of the eyes, as in a case of fright, or by the 
hearing of the ears as in a case of terrible news, or a 
continuous overstrain of the mind from any cause, and 
for any object, may produce chronic insanity. 

As many readers would like to know what the 
"spirits" teach concerning the cause of insanity, we 
quote from a seance report published in the Banner of 
Light, Aug. 28, 1886, the following question, and the 
answer in part, as the whole is quite lengthy : 

Q. — [By L. P. B.] What causes insanity ? And what is the 
best remedy for it ? 

A. — Insanity may be produced by a multiplicity of causes. 
... It would be impossible to enumerate all the causes, yet we 
can define them all as the development, the result of an 
abnormal condition of the mind. Keep the mind clear and 
active, do not overtax the mental power, pay proper attention 
to the physical by way of diet, exercise and other common-sense 
rules, and one need not fear the encroachments of insanity. We 
look upon idiocy as something opposite and different from 
insanity. Idiocy, to our mind, is produced by an abnormal 
condition of the brain in the formation of the cranial structure, 
which prevents the full development and exercise of the mental 
powers of the brain itself. One who does not or cannot exer- 
cise his mind to any extent may fall into a condition of apathy, 
which will produce an idiotic state ; the nerve aura of the sys- 
tem cannot properly assimilate with the cranial structure ; it 
cannot distribute itself freely through the cranium, and thus 
supply an impetus or stimulus to the various parts of the 
brain ; therefore we have, as a. result, idiocy, while insanity may 
be produced by an overcharge of nerve aura to the brain, 
exciting and stimulating the cranial organs to an undue extent. 

The following clipping, also taken from the Banner 
of Light, will explain itself; it was reported from a 
public seance held in Boston on May 3, 1887. 



380 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Ques. — Does an insane person (one who is much demented 
here) retain his former faculties on entering the spirit- world ? 

Ans. — It depends very much upon the condition of the spirit 
itself. If the dementia is caused through obstructions in the 
physical organism, then the spirit, on lessening its hold of that 
temporal structure, will find himself renewed in mental vigor 
and activity, and all traces of his insanity will have disappeared 
upon his entrance -to another and higher life ; but if the spirit 
is mentally disturbed, independent of any physical obstruction, 
independent of any condition of the material body, it does not 
follow that he will regain his mental vigor upon entering the 
spirit-world. 

If the cause of his distress still lingers with him — if he 
continues anxious over any event in life, over any circumstance 
that has happened to him — -just so long as that anxiety remains 
may he remain also unbalanced in mind, because the mind, 
brooding upon one subject, continually remains in an abnormal 
condition, and must be equalized before it can regain a condi- 
tion of health. 

Such sC spirit, if it still continues in a disturbed and anxious 
frame of mind, will no doubt be taken in charge by wise and 
advanced spirits who desire to assist the unfortunate. It will 
be taken to one of the sanitariums in the spiritual life, and 
there be surrounded by circumstances and conditions calculated 
to assist in lifting its mind above that brooding state which it 
has formerly experienced, thus providing proper ways and 
means for regaining a well-balanced condition of mind. 

We think the idea of " Sanitariums in the spiritual 
life " will seem very strange to many persons when 
they come to view it as a post-mortem mind healing 
institution ! But a particular phase of insanity con- 
fronts us at times in the papers, and is usually headed 
" Crazed by religion." Such an article was published 
in the Philadelphia Times, March 8, 1888, stating that 
a man " created great consternation " in a Church on 
that evening in Wilkesbarre. The article says : 



Evangelist Yatman is conducting a series of meetings at the 
church and large audiences attend nightly. This evening the 
edifice was crowded and the evangelist delivered a soul-stirring 
address for sinners to return to God. A hearer was so affected 



ITS PHENOMENA. 381 

that he became frantic, and jumping over the pews made a dash 
for the pulpit. He said he was saved and now wanted to preach 
the Word of God as he had heard it spoken by Mr. Yatman. 
The man cried out at the top of his voice, and the women 
and children in the congregation were very much frightened. 
People began to rush out the doors, but a panic was averted by 
the presence of mind of the trustees, who commanded the peo- 
ple to keep quiet. The man was finally overpowered, and under 
escort of three policemen he was taken to the lockup. He is 
now believed to be crazy. 

Had the man been converted to God, through His 
truth, and by His Spirit, he would have made no 
trouble for them, but would rather seek their happiness 
here and hereafter. 

We will notice one more case of the same class (as 
claimed) , which we clipped from the Philadelphia Press 
of May 20, 1888, and will give a reprint, so that close 
thinkers may be able to draw proper inferences, as well 
as to note our comments upon it. It is as follows : 

CRAZED BY BRIMSTONE PREACHING. 

Ishpeming, Mich., May 19 [special]. — Mrs. Charlotte Erick- 
son, a Scandinavian woman, 40 years of age, with several chil- 
dren, was to-day taken to the asylum at Marquette, hopelessly 
insane from religious excitement. So violent has she been for 
several days that the united efforts of two men were barely suf- 
ficient to restrain her. Her ravings could be heard for blocks. 
Mrs. Erickson is the eighth woman in as many months who 
has been crazed by religious excitement, in this section, through 
the exhortations of female Swedish evangelists. They have 
been preaching the doctrine of fire and brimstone exclusively. 

This brief article, though not taken from a Spiritual- 
ist paper, is such as many Spiritualists like to quote at 
the expense of the Bible when practicable. It suggests 
many comments, a few of which are demanded in the 
interest of truth. The article sets forth that the wo- 
man named became crazy and raving by " religious ex- 



382 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

citement," and that this was a result of " brimstone 
preaching." This term, as used in the article, unques- 
tionably means the dogma or doctrine of " eternal mis- 
ery " as a punishment for the finally impenitent. If 
this mother believed that one of her children was in 
that condition, it is clear that she had cause for her 
ravings ; and your mother, if a person of fair intellect, 
would be in a similar condition if she should believe 
that you were thus hopelessly tortured ! 

Doubtless, very many persons who have read the 
account above noted, suppose that the Bible and its 
religion is responsible for the horrid facts given, when 
nothing could be further from the truth in the case. 
We shall show that Almighty wisdom and power cut 
off all possibility for any such condition of things in 
the entire history of man ; and that Jesus, the Christ, 
never mentioned it, nor did He tell us of anybody else 
who did : hence the falsity of the theology, as taught ! 

Practically, those who teach this doctrine hold it 
in doubt. Neither it, nor its terrible effects on those 
eight persons who were driven to insanity by it, should 
be charged to the Gospel, seeing that it teaches nothing 
of the kind, either in letter or in spirit. Had those 
lunatics heard and received Bible teachings, their in- 
sanity would have been avoided, their ravings would 
never have been heard. 

Religion, as taught by Jesus and His apostles, has 
saved millions from insanity; but NEVER in any 
case did its doctrines ever make a sane person crazy. 
It is not in its nature to do it. It is soothing, not ex- 
citing; it is animating, but not fanatical; it is patient, 
not petulant; it is confiding, not jealous; it is kind, 
not hateful; it is not despondent, but hopeful : it is a 
complete outfit of requisite opposites wherewith to oppose, 
and thus avoid that most dreaded malady, insanity ! 

Again, although any person may become insane from 



ITS PHENOMENA. 383 

one of the many causes of insanity, whether he be 
Christian or infidel, yet we have never known but one 
to become so, who held the belief that immortality is 
obtained only through a belief in Christ as a Saviour 
according to His Gospel, i. e., " conditional " immortal- 
ity. All accounts of insane persons which we have 
seen, save one, wherein any expression was made, in- 
dicated that the patients had believed in the theory of 
inherent, or natural immortality. Indeed, we should 
esteem it a favor which we would seek to remunerate 
if any of our readers should send us an authentic ac- 
count of murder, suicide, or insanity by or in a believer 
in " conditional " immortality. We do not claim that 
this theory has no blood-stains upon it, but we do 
expect to learn that it has less than any other, on the 
principle that sound truth will make a better Hope an- 
chor than a flawy error. 

A very long editorial in the Banner of Light, June 
4, 1888, sets forth that Dr. Forbes Winslow, of London, 
" once publicly asserted that ' nearly ten thousand per- 
sons, having gone insane on the subject (Spiritualism), 
were confined in the public asylums of the United 
States ; ' and that Dr. Talmage, of Brooklyn, has openly 
declared that ' there is not an insane asylum from Maine 
to Texas which does not contain victims of Spiritual- 
ism.' ' This, the Banner denies, and presents arguments 
and statistics to prove that there is less than one person 
in each asylum in the United States, whose insanity 
was caused by Spiritualism. The statistics, however, 
were collated in 1876, and more recent data may or 
may not make a different showing for the present time. 

But suppose they remain the same, and that we al- 
low the Banners claim — that, briefly stated, there are 
" not half as many male and female Spiritualists in our 
insane asylums as clergymen ; " yet it is abstract, from 
the fact that in these days of many beliefs and isms, 



384 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

we are confronted with a class of insanity which is 
" not placed on the [asylum] bills," and will notice it. 
And it is well known that an abstract statement may 
be truth, by itself, which if made to represent a whole 
theory, would mislead more people than a fairly told 
lie, whether with or without design. We hold the 
latter, or charitable position in any case until we are 
driven from it. 

Here, we would candidly remark that we are unable 
to discover why Spiritualism, as received and practiced 
by persons of fair intelligence, should cause them to 
become inmates of Insane Asylums, inasmuch as ac- 
cording to its philosophy they have a right to any en- 
joyment which life affords, that does not conflict with 
their own ideas and judgment of right, which is their 

" final standard." Thus, like queer Capt. , of 

South Antrim, N. H., they would have "no evil ac- 
tions, either past, present or prospective, to think of. " 
Surely, we should not expect to find such persons in 
Asylums, but, rather, actively engaged in getting what 
worldly comforts and pleasures they can out of the 
life that now is, and looking for more after death, or 
" passing to the higher life." 

But suppose the Banner's claim is sustained with 
regard to insane Spiritualists in Asylums, it is evident 
that Spiritualism is not checking insanity as it has 
promised to do. Hear M. Jaubert, an able Spiritualist, 
and Vice-President of the Civil Tribunal of Carcassonne, 
France, in a letter to a Spanish editor, as quoted in 
" Nineteenth Century Miracles," pages 79-80. He 
wrote in September, 1864, as follows: 

Affirm to your people that man never dies, that his immortal- 
ity is proved, not by books, but by material and tangible facts, 
of which every one can convince himself; that anon, our Houses 
of Correction and our Prisons will disappear ; suicide will be 
erased from our mortuary tables ; and nobly borne, the calami- 



ITS PHENOMENA. 385 

ties of earth shall no longer produce madness ! [Emphasis is 
ours.] 

Now, after Forty-five years of boasted progress, we 
ask once more : Does man not die ? Are our Houses of 
Correction being pulled down? Are suicides becoming 
strange occurrences ? Has the ravings of the victims of 
madness in our Asylums become less, during these years ? 
The former questions have been answered with sighs 
and heart-aches ; the latter may be answered by read- 
ing the following reprint of Rev. D. T. Taylor's paper 
on the subject of Insanity, as published in his pamphlet, 
" Increase of Crime," which we have already noticed : 

INSANITY. 

In his Annual, Jan., 1881, Gov. Plaisted of Maine said : 
" Statistics clearly show that insanity is greatly on the increase 
both in Maine and throughout the country." Now take one 
State, Massachusetts. Frank B. Sanborn, after carefully study- 
ing insane statistics, says there remained uncured 1,456 persons 
in 1865, but twenty years later, in 1885, the number was 3,700 — 
scarcely 60 per cent, increase of population, but 150 per cent, 
increase of insane in ward. Here is the governmental census 
report for the whole country : — 

1850 — one insane to every 1,486 souls. 

1860— " " " ' 1,308 " 

1870— " " " 1,030 " 

1880— " " " 554 " 

Nearly three times as many out of the same number of people 
as thirty years ago ! Here the sociologists, progressionists, and 
dreamers of a good time coming are confronted with awful facts. 
And that last decade! I read again: 1870 — one to 1,030; 
1880 — one to 554 ! " It is an absolute fact," says the Boston 
Evening Star, Aug. 24, 1884, " that while the population has in- 
creased 30 per cent, in ten years between 1870-1880, the in- 
sanity increase was 135 per cent, for the same period ! ! n 
Where is the rosy hue and silver lining to this dark cloud hang- 
ing over us ? 
It is worse abroad. In Australia the number of insane rose 
25 



386 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

from 13 to 20 for each ten thousand in the decade between 1861 
and 1871. In Italy the number of insane during but three 
years ending 1881 increased 14 per cent. In France it rose from 
946 insane in 1801 to 7,072 insane in 1876— full 850 per cent. 
In England the number rose from 19 to each ten thousand per- 
sons in 1849 to 25 to each ten thousand in 1871. In Ireland it 
mounted up from 15 to each ten thousand in 1846 to 33 to each 
ten thousand in 1872, and all Christian nations exhibit similar 
augmentation of this sorrowful phase, while medical authori- 
ties refer full forty per cent, of all insanity to the growing use 
of intoxicants. 

[We can trace Three-fourths of the " Forty per cent." 
in the last clause of the above quotation to the use of 
tobacco. Hence the importance of keeping the boys 
away from it, and its associations.] The foregoing 
Statistics are, indeed, appalling; but we have only 
hinted at the worst phase of insanity ! Reference is 
now made to the kind which is now-a-days known as 
u Temporary Insanity." That which we have been 
considering we called " chronic " insanity, because, not 
yielding to simple treatment, it found its way into Asy- 
lums, and hence, into Statistics, as given. 



" TEMPORARY " INSANITY 

cases are never found in Asylums, but are well known 
in Courts and Prisons, and in Hospitals and Morgues ! 
Its work is radical, sometimes methodical, usually sud- 
den, and always devilish. Mark this: It never does 
great exploits in goodness for humanity, but always 
against it; and would, like "everlasting fire," continue 
its work until the last individual object was destroyed 
(not preserved), but for that moral restraint which is 
placed upon it by God, of whom the Bible speaks, and 
whom Spiritualism denies, as such. 

In our discussion of suicide, we presented, as we 
thought, evidence enough to warrant the conclusion that 



ITS PHENOMENA. 387 

those suicides which were decided by inquests to be 
caused by " Temporary Insanity," were prompted and 
" pushed through," by demons ; and that they are iden- 
tical with the directing power which produces what is 
known as Spiritual Phenomena. Of the general cor- 
rectness of this theory we do not entertain a reasonable 
doubt, because it agrees with Bible teachings, and 
accounts for all the facts connected with such phenom- 
ena, so far as we know of them, whether of things seen 
or unseen ; and it does no violence to common sense. 

Briefly stated, with a practical application of this 
theory, the actions of a suicide or murderer evidently 
under control of a power not his own, and by reason of 
which an inquest declares it to be a case of " Tempo- 
rary Insanity," is, really, Spiritual Phenomena, al- 
though of a murderous character, and which we have 
named Destroying Mediumship. 

At this point, two questions arise : First, Are those 
mediums (they were persons under " control ") respon- 
sible for their crimes ? Let us make a picture. 

Suppose a man gives a note payable at bank in 
ninety days, and when the days are nearly numbered, 
he has no money on hand. All this time he has en- 
joyed the privilege of applying in person to a friendly 
firm which would cheerfully grant his request on 
" call ; " but it requires Three days to visit the firm, 
and return. While waiting for patrons to pay their 
dues with which he thought to pay the note, the time 
has quite expired — indeed, the last day has dawned 
upon him, and his debtors have proved so many fail- 
ures. 

Being now pressed into " straits " the man resolves 
to visit the " friendly firm," which will almost occupy 
the " days of grace ." At this point he is seized with ill- 
ness so severe that he becomes delirious, and which con- 
dition lasts the entire day. On the morrow he recovers, 



388 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

but too late to make the trip and receive the money. 
Now, will the bank excuse him for presuming on his 
days of grace, and fail to " protest " the note because 
of his temporary insanity ? All say No ! — not the bank. 

So, too, those mediums enjoyed the privilege — and 
more than that — an earnest invitation to apply in per- 
son to the Bank of Bible Teachings, where principles 
were always free on " call," and which would ever keep 
them out of the reigning power of evil angels (not hu- 
man spirits) who constantly watch weak moral points 
in mankind, as avenues by which to gain admission, 
that they may " control " them; not for ultimate good, 
but for everlasting destruction. (Not eternal misery.) 
But the class in question neglected, and indeed some 
even defamed the Institution, thus making conditions 
more "favorable for evil influences, until they became 
mediums under the power of demons, when in a fit of 
frenzy they committed the crimes which were proved 
against them, and were declared to be "Temporarily in- 
sane!' What say you, Reader? We think they are 
responsible. 

The Second question which our position suggests is 
pertinent, and not without interest, especially to Spirit- 
ualists. The question is this : To what extent, if any, 
is Modern Spiritualism — as taught — responsible for the 
phase of Destroying Mediumship, as we understand it ? 
We believe that Spiritualism is morally responsible for 
any suicides or murderers who have been led or 
encouraged to become such in consequence of having 
their moral restraint removed by being taught that they 
are " not accountable to any being outside of themselves" 
and that "even the vilest outcast of earth shall . . . . 
be ultimately exalted to companionship with the puri- 
fied and blest." 

" Spirit communion " is the fundamental idea, or 
theory of Spiritualism, while the Two foregoing theories 



ITS PHENOMENA. 389 

— fully quoted elsewhere — are the essential doctrines 
of the System, or Philosophy. These teach No-ac- 
countability here, and Universal Progression to happi- 
ness, HEREAFTER ! 

Now, is there any encouragement in such doctrines 
for the badly disheartened travellers on life's journey 
to longer brave the perils that often threaten them ? Is 
it not especially well calculated to strengthen the temp- 
tation, or desire to suicide, seeing it fits either the sane 
or insane class ? Those who are not easily made insane 
by their troubles and distress of mind can readily see 
their way through by accepting this doctrine, to com- 
mit suicide in a deliberate and rational manner, as many 
are known to do. 

Those who have less will-power based upon sound 
morals, and are negative in magnetism — if they become 
disheartened by the ills of life, to the point of despera- 
tion, having turned away from the Grand Central 
Depot of true moral precepts (the Bible), will readily 
entertain the doctrine above named, and soon become 
passive to demon magnetism, when they will murder 
themselves, perhaps, too, after killing others. Then 
follows the very common and significant two-worded 
Coroner's verdict — " Temporary Insanity ! " Surely this 
is the worst kind of insanity. 

The following clipping from the Banner of Light, 
Oct. 15, 1892, will be read with interest, in continuing 
the topic, especially as it purports to come from spirit- 
land : 



Q. — [By the same.] Is nervous insanity a disease, or is it caused 
by evil spirits f Can it be cured by spirit-power ? 

A. — Unfortunately there are very many cases of insanity 
produced by an abnormal condition of the nervous system, 
and it is probably to these that your correspondent refers in 
her question. 

It is possible for a sensitive to be so strongly impinged upon 



390 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

in the magnetic forces by an adverse or obsessing spirit as to 
cause these nervous forces to become exhausted, and the entire 
system to become so debilitated that an unbalanced state of the 
mind is the result ; but we think that the majority of these 
cases of insanity referred to are produced by some abnormal 
state of the organic form. The nervous system has, become de- 
pleted, there has not been an equal and even distribution of 
the nerve forces throughout the body, and therefore the brain 
suffers, the mind comes into an abnormal state, and insanity 
ensues. 

It is again seen that the " spirits " admit that " sen- 
sitive " persons may be obsessed, that is, influenced, or 
controlled by certain spirits, so as to cause insanity. 
Of course they mean an evil human spirit, but we have 
shown that this claim is mythical. Substitute evil angel 
for " obsessing spirit," and all is clear. 

The* following remarks on this subject by a popular 
lecturer on Spiritualism will interest our readers, with 
or without comments. It is from the Banner of Light, 
March 28, 1891 : 



INSANITY AND SUICIDE. 

MRS. ADA FOYE'S LECTURE IN ODD FELLOWS' HALL, DENVER, 
COL., MARCH 15, 1891. 

Nearly three hundred people assembled in Odd Fellows' Hall 
to hear Mrs. Ada Foye's lecture on " Insanity, Obsession and 
Suicide." The meeting was opened with prayer and song, after 
which Mrs. Foye read from Luke concerning the casting out of 
devils. She said : 

It is not pleasant to speak on this subject, or rather these 
subjects, for there are three in one ; but I do so because the 
question has been asked me, " What is the state of the suicide 
in the other world ? " and I feel that I cannot avoid the sub- 
ject. 

On this earth a spirit is constantly oppressed by the environ- 
ments of the individual. Many people are sorely troubled, and 
think that life is not worth living, and would not live were it 
not for the ties they have made on the spiritual side of their 
natures. 



ITS PHENOMENA. 391 

There are many who have such a hard time here that if they 
think the next life is to be but a continuation of this, they 
want no more of it. But the revelation of Spiritualism gives 
them hope. 

There are many persons who do not know what obsession 
means. Obsession is the controlling of a spirit in this world 
by a spirit in another world. Some persons seem to be ob- 
sessed or possessed, and commit acts that make it seem that 
they are not acting of their own will, but of the will of a 
demon. I wish I could say that there was no such thing as ob- 
session. Now there are persons whose spirits leave this life 
filled with sins, and come back to this earth, and find a suit- 
able medium or sensitive person of whom they can take pos- 
session. 

The reader will please keep in mind that " persons, 
spirits " do not " come back," for, verily, they do not 
exist, but evil angels deceive us (if they can), so as to 
mislead us to our destruction. 



If the spirit comes back to do good, then that obsession is 
good ; but if the spirit is bad, then the problem for us to study 
is how to exorcise these undeveloped spirits. Christ knew 
how. If you are afraid of becoming obsessed by bad spirits, 
put yourself in a positive condition, and elevate yourself out of 
their element. The best way to keep them off is by prayer. 

It has been a question with many persons as to what insanity 
is. Some insane persons, while they talk and act unpleasantly, 
there seems to be a method in their madness. A case in the 
Worcester, Mass., Insane Asylum shows the method some de- 
ranged persons have. The maniac was offended by the physi- 
cian, and he laid a plan to get even. After a long time he lured 
him to the roof of the building, and threw him to the ground. 
I think that eighty per cent, of the inmates of asylums are obsessed, 
and if a man having good spiritual power could go to them he could 
exorcise those spirits, and make them whole ! 

Very many readers would easily conclude, on read- 
ing the above two paragraphs, that " Christ " and 
Christian " prayer" were a part of Spiritualism, but 



392 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

we have proved that it denies them as being necessary 
in securing eternal life. 

Some assert that Spiritualism makes people insane. I have 
visited many insane asylums, and have made it a study to find 
out how many are insane from Spiritualism. In one asylum, 
having 2,800 patients, I found only two who were insane on 
Spiritualism, and one of those two had, previous to going in- 
sane, attended a Methodist revival, and it is a mooted question 
whether it was Spiritualism or Methodism that deranged his 
mind ; but of course Spiritualism had to take the blame. 

Our readers are aware that we have shown that in- 
sane Spiritualists are seldom found in Asylums, and 
that we should not look there for them, for reasons 
already given. 

The question was sent to me last Sunday, " What is the Con- 
dition of the Suicide in the Spirit- World ? " I will say that it 
depends on the condition of the mind and life at the time of 
death. If his mind was diseased, why he was not responsible for 
his act ; but if he was in his right mind, and committed the act 
deliberately, he will be held responsible. Some men think that 
they can get rid of their troubles and perplexities by committing 
suicide. It is not so. You cannot get away from yourself. You may 
destroy the body, but the soul lives, and when you die you will take 
up your life beyond just where you left offin this. What, then, is 
the use of committing suicide? The suicide is to be pitied and 
his condition deplored, and the enlightened spirits in the other 
world do pity him. 

We are twice told in Ezekiel, Chapter 18, that the 
"soul" shall DIE, and Jesus says, in Matt. 10: 28, 
the soul can be DESTROYED ! 

The Religious World tells its readers that there are twelve 
million Spiritualists in the United States alone. It is bound to 
grow, and no power on earth can stop it. Fact. 

At the conclusion of the lecture (says the Denver Republican, 
to which we are indebted for this report), Mrs. Foye received 
communications for a number of persons in the audience, and 



ITS PHENOMENA. 393 

then every one was invited to write the name of any deceased 
friend whom they wished to communicate with on a slip of 
paper and fold it up securely so that the name would not show. 
Then the slips were taken to her and emptied out on the table 
in plain sight of all. A disinterested party was invited to go 
up and handle the ballots. When one was picked up having 
the name enclosed of a spirit present, two raps on the table 
were heard, and Mrs. Foye wrote the name of the spirit on a 
piece of paper. The ballot was then opened, and the name 
written by the medium and the one on the ^lip sent up cor- 
responded exactly. A gentleman in the audience acknowledged 
the spirit and received a communication. 

Demons can easily control the brain of a sensitive 
(medium) to this extent, and for a purpose, too, but 
" human spirits " (?) NEVER ! 



SIXTH TOPIC 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THE- 
OLOGY. 

In this division of our work will be found brief re- 
views of the more important teachings and criticisms 
directly given at regular seances in Boston, by " spirits " 
— as claimed — and reported in the Banner of Light, 
from time to time. Also, reviews of criticisms made 
upon some Bible topics in favor of Spiritualism, directly 
and indirectly, by writers, editors, and lecturers — all 
being more or less interesting and valuable for refer- 
ence. Our first article, however, will be Spiritualism's 
" Declaration of Principles," prefaced by the following 
brief history. 

The Fifth National Convention of Spiritualists con- 
vened on August 25, 1868, in Corinthian Hall, Roch- 
ester, N. Y. Here they formed an association under 
the title of the " American Association of Spiritual- 
ists." Its object was "to co-operate with State and 
local organizations for the promulgation of the Spiritual 
Philosophy and its teachings, and to encourage the es- 
tablishment of at least one National College for the 
education of persons of both sexes, on terms of equality, 
free from all sectarian dogmas, where their children 
might be educated in accordance with the progressive 
developments of the age." The transactions of the 

(394) 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 395 

Convention were published in the Banner of Light, 
Sept. 12, 1868, from which we clipped the following 

DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES. 

Resolved, That Spiritualism teaches : 

1. That man has a spiritual nature as well as a corporeal ; in 
other words, that the real man is a spirit, which spirit has 
an organized form, composed of sublimated material, with parts 
and organs corresponding to those of the corporeal body. 

2. That man, as a spirit, is immortal. Being found to sur- 
vive that change called physical death, it may be reasonably 
supposed that he will survive all future vicissitudes. 

3. That there is a spiritual world, or state, with its substan- 
tial realities, objective as well as subjective. 

4. That the process of physical death in no way essentially 
transforms the mental constitution, or the moral character of 
those who experience it, else it would destroy their identity. 

5. That happiness or suffering in the spiritual state, as in 
this, depends not on arbitrary decree, or special provision, but 
on character, aspirations, and degree of harmonization, or of 
personal conformity to universal and divine law. 

6. Hence, that the experiences and attainments of this life 
lay the foundations on which the next commences. 

7. That since growth (in some degree) is the law of the hu- 
man being in the present life, and since the process called death 
is in fact but a birth into another condition of life, retaining all 
the advantages gained in the experiences of this life, it may be 
inferred that growth, development, or progression is the endless 
destiny of the human spirit. 

8. That the spiritual world is not far off, but near, around, 
or interblended with our present state of existence ; and hence, 
that we are constantly under the cognizance and influence of 
spiritual beings. 

9. That as individuals are passing from the earthly to the 
spiritual state in all stages of mental and moral growth, that 
world includes all grades of character, from the lowest to the 
highest. 

10. That, as heaven and hell, or happiness and misery, de- 
pend on internal states rather than external surroundings, there 
are as many grades of each as there are shades of character — 
each gravitating to his own place by the natural law of affinity. 
They may be divided into seven general degrees or spheres; 
but these must admit of indefinite diversifications, or " many 



396 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

mansions," corresponding to diversified individual characters — 
each individual being as happy as his character will allow him 
to be. 

11. That communications from the spirit-world, whether by 
mental impression, inspiration, or any other mode of transmis- 
sion, are not necessarily infallible truths, but, on the con- 
trary, partake unavoidably of the minds from which they ema- 
nate, and of the channels through which they come, and are, 
moreover, liable to misinterpretation by those to whom they 
are addressed. 

12. Hence that no inspired communication, in this or any 
age (whatever claims may be or have been set up as to its 
source), is authoritative, any further than it expresses truth to 
the individual consciousness, which last is the final standard 
to which all inspired or spiritual teachings must be brought for 
judgment. 

13. That inspiration, or the influx of ideas and promptings 
from the spiritual realm, is not a miracle of a past age, but a 
perpetual fact, the ceaseless method of the divine economy for 
human elevation. 

14. That all angelic and all demoniac beings which have 
manifested themselves, or interposed in human affairs in the 
past, were simply disembodied human spirits, or beings of like 
character and origin, in different grades of advancement. 

15. That all authentic miracles (so called) in the past, such 
as the raising of the apparently dead, the healing of the sick 
by the laying on of hands, or other simple means, unharmed 
contact with poisons, the movement of physical objects with- 
out visible instrumentality, etc., have been produced in harmony 
with universal laws, and hence, may be repeated at any time 
under suitable conditions. 

16. That the causes of all phenomena — the sources of all life, 
intelligence and love — are to be sought for in the internal, or 
spiritual realm, not in the external, or material. 

17. That the chain of causation leads inevitably upward or 
inward to an Infinite Spirit, who is not only & forming 'principle 
— (wisdom) but an affectional source (love) — thus sustaining the 
dual parental relations of Father and Mother to all finite 
intelligences, who, of course, are all brethren. 

18. That man, as the offspring of this Infinite Parent, is His 
highest representative on this plane of being — the perfect man 
being the most complete embodiment of the " Father's fulness " 
which we can contemplate ; and that each man is, or has, by 
virtue of this parentage, a germ of divinity — an incorruptible 
portion of the divine essence, which is ever prompting to the 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 397 

right, and which in time will free itself from all imperfections 
incident to the rudimental or earthly condition, and will 
triumph overall evil. 

19. That all evil is disharmony, greater or less, with this 
inmost or divine principle; and, hence, whatever prompts and 
aids man to bring his more external nature into subjection to, 
and harmony with, his interiors — whether it be called " Chris- 
tianity," " Spiritualism," or the " Harmonial Philosophy," 
whether it recognizes the " Holy Ghost," or the Bible, or a 
present spiritual influx, is a " means of salvation " from evil. 

20. That the hearty and intelligent conviction of these truths, 
with a realization of spirit-communion, tends, 

First, To enkindle lofty desires and spiritual aspirations, an 
effect opposite to that of Materialism, which limits existence to 
the present life. 

Second, To deliver from painful fears of death, and dread of 
imaginary evils consequent thereupon, as well as to prevent 
inordinate sorrow and mourning for deceased friends. 

Third, To give a rational and inviting conception of the after- 
life to those who use the present worthily. 

Fourth, To stimulate to the highest possible uses of the 
present life, in view of its momentous relations to the future. 

Fifth, To energize the soul in all that is good and elevating, 
and to restrain from all that is evil and impure. This must 
result according to the laws of moral influence, from a knowl- 
edge of the constant pressure, or cognizance of the loved and 
the pure. 

Sixth, To promote our earnest endeavors, by purity of life, 
by unselfishness, and by loftiness of aspiration, to live con- 
stantly en rapport with the higher conditions of spirit-life and 
thought. 

Seventh, To stimulate the mind to the largest investigation 
and the freest thought on all subjects, especially on the vital 
themes of Spiritual Philosophy and duty, that we may be 
qualified to judge for ourselves what is right and true. 

Eighth, To deliver from all bondage to authority, whether 
vested in creed, book, or church, except that of received truth. 

Ninth, To cultivate self-reliance and careful investigation 
by taking away the support of authorities, and leaving each 
mind to exercise its own truth-determining powers. 

Tenth, To quicken all philanthropic impulses, stimulating to 
enlightened and unselfish labors for universal human good, 
under the encouraging assurance that the redeemed and exalted 
spirits of our race, instead of retiring to idle away an 
eternity of inglorious ease, are encompassing us about as a 



398 



SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 



great cloud of witnesses, inspiring us to the work, and aiding 
it forward to a certain and glorious issue. [The emphasis, 
except in Article 17, is ours.] 

We have given a reprint of the " Declaration *' as 
found in the Banner, except Article 20, which being 
detached from our clipping, we mislaid, hence we copied 
it from u Zell's Encyclopedia," w T here the entire docu- 
ment, with a few changes in expression, may be found 
at the word, Spiritualism. It is, substantially, the 
same. We have noted some radical expressions in 
capitals. The insult to Bible teachings (from which 
Spiritualism gets its highest ethics) in the last para- 
graph, will be noticed by all. The document will be 

FOUND VALUABLE AS A REFERENCE. 

Before introducing a series of " spirit teachings," we 
wish to notice some of the uncertain terms used by the 
" spirits " — those beings (?) to whom we are directed to 
learn the most important facts pertaining .to the here 
and the hereafter. Sixteen of the following terms 
occur in the " Message " department of the Banner of 
Light, Dec. 31, 1887, on page 6 : 



It is our thought. 
We do not think. 
It is our belief. 
Our personal opinion. 
Our own mind. 
May rise. 
May come. 



We believe. 
It may be. 
He may be. 
May feel. 
He may not. 
He may have. 
May possibly. 



May exercise. 
We do not know. 
May experience. 
We have judged. 
It might be. 
He may not. 



It will, however, be seen that such uncertainty is 
consistent with the " Principles." See Art. 2. 



A FEW SAYINGS OF "SPIRITS," 

as claimed, and also of Spiritualists, concerning God, 
will interest many readers. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 399 

The following questions to " spirits," and their an- 
swers are from the Banner of Light, July 11, 1868 : 

Ques. — It is said in the Bible that man is made in the image of 
God. Please tell us what that image is ? 

Arts. — He is made in the image of everything that ever was, 
that is, or that ever shall be. He holds within His calibre every- 
thing that exists, that ever has existed, or that ever will exist. 
Now, God is included in this. If He exists at all, He exists 
everywhere (and we have taken in everything), every place, 
every name, every condition. I believe that the human stands 
above all things else, and holds within its embrace all the past, 
present, and future. In this sense he is created and exists in 
the image of God. 

Ques. — What is God, essentially? 

Ans. — Everything. Essentially, you are God, I am God — the 
flowers, the grass, the pebbles, the stars, the moon, the sun, 
everything is God. 

Twenty years later — in the Banner, April 28, 1888, 
we find a report of a then recent seance, where " In- 
quirer " presented a question to the " spirits," which we 
reprint, with the first Two paragraphs contained in the 
answer. It is thus : 

Some Spiritualists, I learn, believe in a God ; otherwise they 
would not pray to him — taking it for granted that there is such 
a being. Please enlighten us. 

A. — We have yet to come in contact with a thorough Spirit- 
ualist, one who understands something of spiritual life and the 
revelations made by returning spirits, who directly believes in 
a personal God. True, many Spiritualists and many returning 
spirits offer their invocations to the " Great Supreme Spirit of 
all life and intelligence," not because they expect to change the 
order of law, or to come into direct communication with or 
nearness to a Great Supreme Being, clothed in the image of 
man, but because they desire to enter an atmosphere of har- 
mony, to uplift their own souls to a plane of thought which 
will bring spiritual inspirations to their minds. 

We make a distinction between that Great Supreme Over- 
ruling Force which we may call the Superior Spirit of Intelli- 
gence, Wisdom and Love, and the personal Deity, clothed in 



400 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

the image of man, gigantic in stature, jealous and revengeful 
by nature, which has been set up and worshipped as the Chris- 
tian Jehovah. We know of no Spiritualist — let us repeat it — 
who believes in such a personal God, but we can believe and 
accept the idea, though it may pass beyond almost our finite 
comprehension, that there is a grand, universal Spirit permeat- 
ing all forms of existence ; that this great source of light, of 
activity and vitality vibrates with intelligence, and that it is 
superior to all organic forms, however grand they may prove 
to be. 

Professor William Denton, who was a noted Spirit- 
ualist and lecturer, delivered a lecture in Music Hall, 
Boston, Oct. 16, 1870, on " God, in the Light of Sci- 
ence and Common Sense." In his lecture, as reported 
in the Banner of Light, he said : 

Our business, from the very facts in the case, is to take Na- 
ture for our God, and determine all events by her unchanging 
decrees. [Applause.] If we do this, we see that the God set 
up for us to worship is no God at all : he is an impostor, 
palmed upon us in the name of Nature, and it is our duty to 
throw him overboard, and accept Nature, our father and our 
mother. [Applause.] 

In another lecture, as reported in the Banner of 
Light, August 5, 1871, he said : 

The Jehovah of the Bible is a he ; he has no female compan- 
ion — no wife to calm his ruffled temper, or smooth his trou- 
bled brow, when he is grieved at heart. Jesus is a son — God 
never begat a daughter to show his appreciation of the more 
refined and more moral sex. 

Nevertheless, although "Jehovah " allowed the Pro- 
fessor to deny Him in the one lecture, and blackguard 
Him in the other, yet, when he said anything that was 
really grand and eloquent, he depended upon the " Jeho- 
vah of the Bible " for the privilege, and upon the Bible 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 401 

of " Jehovah " for majesty in diction and the principles 
of truth in expression ! 

Now, whether the Professor's " Science and Common 
Sense" will support his objection to "Jehovah" be- 
cause it is a " he" and his acceptance of Nature be- 
cause it is a she, we will not stop now to consider. 
Without doubt he thinks he has thus " shown his ap- 
preciation of the more refined and moral sex." 

Having already shown that the phenomena of Spir- 
itualism are not the product of science, we embrace this 
opportunity to show that some important teachings of 
the system are not in accordance with common sense. 
But what is common sense? It is defined to mean, 
" That degree of intelligence, sagacity, and prudence, 
which is common to most people." Very well. Now 
suppose we ask one of the allowedly " most people" 
whether he thinks it a display of intelligence to call 
Nature God, while many who have not outlived their 
teens know that Nature has no brains, hence no mind, 
while its very face is evidence of its being A result of 
mind ! 

Again : Ask him if it is evidence of " sagacity 
and prudence" in a man, who, when he knows that he 
must cross a frightful chasm, deliberately chooses a. 
bridge which is known to be unsafe — as if his ideas of 
"science and common sense" would strengthen the 
structure ! 

Once more ; " Spirits " are said to be freer, wiser and 
stronger after leaving their bodies — can even lift a 
piano from the floor ! If this be so, why should so 
many fond wives and mothers delay months and years 
to make themselves known to the loved ones at home ? 

And again : Why should any such spirits introduce 
themselves to a mixed company of strangers, thousands 
of miles from their friends, while but a few ever com- 
municate at all ? 

26 



402 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Yet once more : Allowing those spirits to have and 
to hold their former earthly interest in their friends, 
and that they cannot communicate with them — just 
imagine them watching daily and nightly the joys and 
sorrows of the families with the new wives and moth- 
ers, while they cannot whisper a word of praise or cen- 
sure to them ! ! Is such a state of things enjoyed by 
the loved ones "who are said to have passed on?" 
Does "common sense" dictate, or even support such 
propositions as the foregoing ones? And would not 
such a belief by the surviving members of those fami- 
lies aggravate their grief and anxiety until it suggested 
and even encouraged suicide ? 

We have often noticed that an exhibition of common 
sense discovers two leading features, namely, independ- 
ence of thought and tendency to comfort ; and the latter 
idea will often fail of success, without the support of 
the former ! 

The following well illustrates, while it eloquently 
enforces the principle in our foregoing remarks. It is 
part of a Washington letter in the New York World, 
as copied by the Philadelphia Record, December 25, 
1887. When referring to Mrs. Cleveland's " Seal 
Browns," and their proud driver, it says : 

He (Albert) has but one regret, and that is a vain one. Since 
the cold weather began the coats of the Seal Browns have be- 
come a little rough and shaggy. Albert would have them 
clipped, but soft-hearted Mrs. Cleveland will not permit it to 
be done. She feels that it is cruel to the poor beasts to expose 
them to the chilling blasts of this trying climate. A day or 
two ago, as she left the carriage, she noticed the envious eyes 
cast by Albert upon the glistening sides of a pair of well- 
clipped sorrels that stood shivering by the curb, and the dis- 
dainful glance at the rough coats of the White House horses. 
" Never mind, Albert," said she, " the browns are not nearly 

SO PRETTY, BUT THEY ARE A GREAT DEAL WARMER." 

As we did not vote for or against Mr. Cleveland, we 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 403 

may be forgiven, at least, for saying that a woman who 
can be a success in the National Capital, and bow a polite 
" thank you " to the engineer who safely ran her train, 
and practically prove that common sense tends to com- 
fort, even for animals, is a lady whose moral influence 
will be felt anywhere without effort on her part. 

Returning to our topic, we think we have shown that 
the denial of the God of heaven in any sense, is not 
in agreement with common sense and many known 
facts; neither are the strange teachings of spirits, 
which we have noticed, concerning God. 

CONCERNING JESUS, THE CHRIST, 

the " spirits," or demons have said many things, but we 
will first notice a paragraph from a lecture in the 
earlier days of Spiritualism. We clipped it, thirty-one 
years ago, from the Banner of Light, July 19, 1862. 
The lecture is entitled " Spiritualism and the New 
Testament," and was delivered by Mrs. Cora L. V. 
Hatch (now Richmond) , in Dod worth's Hall, New York, 
Sunday evening, June 29, of the same year. We make 
the following quotation : 

Of Jesus of Nazareth, personally, we have but little to say. 
Certain it is, we find sufficient that is Divine in His life and 
teachings, without professing to believe in the fables of Theolo- 
gians respecting His birth and parentage. We are content to 
take the simple record as it stands, and to regard Him as the 
son of Joseph and Mary, endowed with such purity and 
harmony of character as fitted him to be the Apostle and 
Revelator of the highest wisdom ever taught to man. {Then 
ivhy not accept Him ?~\ It is the fundamental article in the creed 
of modern Christianity, that Jesus was divine in His nature, 
and of miraculous origin and nativity. Now, no human being 
of ordinary intelligence, unwarped by educational bias, would 
ever profess to believe in such a monstrous figment, which only 
shows the blindness of superstitious prejudice. 

So men talk to-day ; and many too, of much more 



404 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

than " ordinary intelligence," and who admit that God 
made man from the simple elements of the earth, but 
utterly deny, and scout the idea that He in His 
wisdom and power could produce under vastly more 
favorable conditions, a human embryo ! To us, this is 
a careless way of reasoning, resulting in a conclusion 
which might be called by courtesy, inconsistency/ 

The following, said to have come from the " spirits," 
at a seance, and which was reported in the Banner of 
Light, June 4, 1864, will interest several classes of 
readers : 

Q. — Have you ever seen Confucius and Zoroaster ? 

A. — Yes, many times. 

Q. — In the order of degree, which stands the higher in moral 
excellence — Jesus Christ, Confucius, or Zoroaster ? 

A. — Confucius stands in morality higher than the other two. 
.... Jesus himself claims to have been inspired to a large 
extent, by this same Confucius. And if we are to place reli- 
ance upon the records concerning each individual, we shall find 
that Jesus spoke the truth when he tells us he was inspired by 
Confucius. 

This was Twenty-nine years ago, and we think such 
blasphemous lies from the demons need no comment. 
We will now give them a much later hearing, and quote 
from a seance reported in the Banner, dated Oct. 9, 
1886, the following question and answer: 

Q. — [By Mrs. Hall.] Do spirits generally believe in the 
divinity of Jesus Christ ; that He was the Son of God ; that He 
was crucified, dead and buried, and rose again the third day, for 
the saving of all who should believe in him ? 

A. — No ; spirits generally — advanced spirits, those who are 
intelligent, having studied deeply into the principles of life — 
do not accept the theory of the divinity of Jesus Christ ; they 
do not believe that he was crucified for mankind, in the accepted 
understanding of the term. 

This, too, is " off the same piece," and those evil 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 405 

spirits will continue to supply the fabric until they and 
their works are destroyed. 2 Thess. 2 : 18. 

CONCERNING GOD, AS A SPIRIT, 

in which form He is so often represented when men- 
tioned, even by Bible students, and always by " spirits," 
and Spiritualists, when they would refer to such a Being 
as having intelligence, rather than " Nature " — which is 
a result of intelligence, and not intelligence itself — 
we will now speak as intelligently as we can in a little 
space. We may say right here that all uncritical 
persons have, at least, an excuse for accepting such a 
theory, or idea of God ; and we are glad of this opportu- 
nity to correct the error. That it is a monstrous error, we 
have not one reasonable doubt, else, we would abandon 
this work at once. However, the idea is so common, 
that but for the matter of reference by students, we 
would omit quotations : as it is, we will notice a few 
of them. 

In the " invocations " published in the Banner, it is 
common to see that the " spirit " addresses itself to 
" the Eternal Spirit," " Infinite Spirit," "Divine Spirit," 
and similar terms. In an " invocation," said to have 
been given by a "spirit," " through the noted telegraphic 
medium in Cleveland," it addresses " the Great, the 
Mighty Spirit of the Universe ; " and again, " Thou 
art a Spirit, great and mighty." It is clear that the 
Being whom we address as God, is the one here called 
" Spirit," or " a Spirit." Very well. Next we notice 
in the Banner of Light, Oct. 24, 1885, a writer, Edmund 
Young, who uses the quotation, " God is a Spirit," to 
sustain the theory of his theme. And whom does he 
quote ? He quotes John 4 : 24, where Jesus is made 
to say, " God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him 



406 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

must worship Him in Spirit and in truth." Let this 
stand, too, for the present. 

Now, if we turn to the Religio-Philosophical Journal, 
Jan. 23, 1886, we shall find an address by Seldon J. 
Finney, which was delivered before a Spiritualist Asso- 
ciation, from which we make the following quotation, 
and which will show what can be done with the hy- 
pothesis, " God is a Spirit." He says : 

Here, then, on the basis of the idea of the spirituality of 
Eternal Power — Substance — God, rests the whole Spiritualist 
movement; and to him who starts with the idea of God — of 
Infinite Spirit, there is not a logical resort but in Spiritualism. 
For if God be Spirit and Infinite, there is no room for any other 
substance than spirit. Spirit becomes all in all — the primordial 
Power at the centre, and the original substance at the founda- 
tion of the world. 

Adrrfit the idea of " matter " as essentially different from 
spirit, and you can have no God ; for such a notion plants a 
discreet degree between God and " matter," which limits each 
by the other ; and so, destroying the infinity of each, upsets the 
very idea of God. 

Spiritualism is the only possible deduction from the idea of 
God ; and the idea of Infinite Spirit — God — is the last possible 
induction from the facts which prove man a spiritual entity, 
immortal and progressive. No matter from which side we start, 
we land in Spiritualism. To set out from the notion of 
" matter," lands us in atheism ; and atheism is disproved by 
those facts which demonstrate the spiritual entity of the soul. 

We thus reason from the spiritual entity and vital relation- 
ships of the soul to the idea of the spirituality of nature and 
the naturalness of spirit and its laws. Or, setting out from the 
intuition of God as Infinite Spirit, we come to the spiritual 
nature, relations, and inspirations of the soul. Here, then, is 
seen the logical foundations of the great Spiritualist movement. 
He who believes God to be a Spirit must at last, if he think, see 
that all the world is a " Spiritual Manifestation." The Spirit- 
ual Philosophy includes all this. 

The foregoing is one of the most important para- 
graphs which our work has furnished for consideration. 
Please read the first sentence again, and then see what 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 407 

a conclusion is arrived at in the second sentence, and 
in the last two as well ! Now consider that we have 
shown that the " spirits," or demons, sometimes declare 
that " God is a Spirit," as also do Spiritualists when an 
intelligent Deity is addressed ; moreover, many minis- 
ters and teachers do the same, and finally, we admit 
that the letter of the text which we quoted from Jesus, 
through John, also declares it ! 

Now, read again that logical conclusion, " For if God 
be Spirit and Infinite, there is not a logical resort but 
in Spiritualism ! " " What ? " exclaims Candid Reader, 
" Has everything gone over to prove Spiritualism ? " 
And here, too, is poor Honest Skeptic, who had received 
so much light that the shadow of his last doubt was 
fading from his vision, but this leaves him in thick 
darkness ! Radical Ghostman, however, is in ecstasies 
over this " unanswerable (?) logic ! " Taking him by 
the hand, we extend to him all the congratulation we 
can, by conceding the force of the logic and accepting the 
conclusion, provided, the premises are sound. 

Trusting in the forbearance of our friends, we will 
open up this proposition anew, despite the conclusion 
that seems to fit it so well. In the earlier .days of 
Spiritualism, and years before we saw any criticism, or 
position like the one above quoted, based upon, " God 
is a Spirit," we had noticed that by itself, the text was 
in favor of Spiritualism ; but we also saw in the Bible 
frequent reference made to the personal God of which 
it treats, by the mention of His head ; His face ; His 
eyes (twenty times); His ears; His lips; His arms; 
His hand (twenty-two times) ; His fingers ; and, also, 
His feet. 

We think the average child would, with this descrip- 
tion, select a "material" man from among all the crea- 
tures that God made. For all this, some man will say, 
" 0, they were ' spirit ' limbs and parts." We shall see. 



408 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Then we found in the First Chapter of the Bible that 
God proposed to make man " after His likeness ;" 
and that He did " create him in His own image." In 
Chap. 5: 1, it is again declared that "God created 

MAN IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD." 

Again, in Chap. 9 : 6, we read : " Whoso sheddeth 
man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed : (why ?) 

FOR IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, MADE He MAN." By this, we 

see that the image of God had blood in him. Now, 
shall we call either the Pattern or the image, Spirit ? (!) 
And what shall we say of those who call this a " moral 
image (/ /) ? " 

Once more : the Scriptures declare that Jesus the 
Christ is God's Son, that He is the express image of 
His Person — Heb. 1 : 1-3 ; also, in 2 Cor. 4 : 4, that 
" Christ is the image of God." And no one questions 
the fact that He was, at least, born of a woman. Fur- 
thermore, He was executed [without crime], and being 
pierced, His blood flowed : He had bones also, since 
the record says they were not broken. Is it very ab- 
surd to call such beings, spirits ? We think it is. But, 
why ? Because of the nature of the facts given in de- 
tail, and our own knowledge of the image ! yet more, 
the evidence of Christ, when He said : " A Spirit hath 
not flesh [muscular tissue and blood'] and bones, as ye 
see me have." — Luke 24 : 39. 

This brings us face to face with other words of 
Christ, in John 4 : 24, where He says : " God is a 
Spirit;" and adds, that "they that worship Him must 
worship Him in spirit and in truth." This text, and 
the facts above noted, were a trouble to us for years, as 
we Lave said, when one day, still believing that the 
Bible was correct if understood, we noticed that the 
little word, is, is in italics ! Then, a flood of light 
burst upon the text, and upon the entire subject as 
well! It was on this wise. Those words which are 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 409 

printed in italics and occurring in the text (not margin) 
of the Bible, are not in the original, but are inserted to 
connect ambiguous and abrupt word for word transla- 
tions from the Greek, so as to better present the thought 
of the original text to the mind of the English reader. 
In a few of the very many cases, they fail to do so, and 
this, evidently, is one of them. 

We think a series of well-arranged facts will discover 
the true meaning of the text in question, and relieve 
its awkward position, made so by an oversight of the 
translators and by which a gigantic error might be 
supported. We will call this a Critics Formula, and 
present it thus: 

Fact 1. The text, as it stands, with its supplied 
word, is, contradicts all Scripture teachings on that 
subject, as well as known facts which are pertinent 
to it. 

Fact 2. The text or any other should not do it. 

Fact 3. It is the supplied word which does it. 

Fact 4. The word, Spirit, here meaning influence 
[see Fourth Topic], is an attribute of God, and is 
called Holy Spirit in the Old, as well as in the New 
Testaments ; and is called Holy Ghost, in the New Tes- 
tament, Ninety times. Now, the fact that God has a 
Spirit — the Holy Spirit — suggests that the word, has, 
should take the place of the supplied word, is, in the 
text, which, when so placed, expresses a fact, as it 
should do, rather than a gigantic error, which it should 
not do. 

Fact 5. The substitution of the word has, for is, not 
only expresses the fact that God has a Spirit, but it 
agrees with His requirement to " worship Him in [that] 
Spirit, and in truth." 

It is now very clear that the major premise in Mr. 
Finney's proposition, "If God be Spirit," is unsound 
[though he should have credit for his suggestive "if"], 



410 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

since we have shown that the only positive evidence in 
support of it is a supplied word ; and no candid critic 
would allow such a word to supplant direct translations 
from original words, in order to make the Bible contra- 
dict its own teachings. Hence there is no support for 
Spiritualism in the text, when it is allowed to agree 
with the facts which belong to its own case. 

It should be seen that the printing of supplied words 
in italic type in the standard version of the Bible, is a 
valuable feature of it, since we may thus see what 
words are not in the original, as well as those which are 
there, and thus assist in discovering the true import of 
the text, and the scope of the subject. Before us are 
three versions of the New Testament in which this 
advantage is wanting, besides confused versification and 
awkward paragraphing. Truly the Old style is best 
until it is improved. 

CONCERNING THE THIEF ON THE CROSS, 

which topic has occasioned many reviews and criticisms 
by Spiritualists and others, we think there need be few, 
if any doubts entertained after considering and compar- 
ing the text with facts, so far as we know them. We 
have an editorial which we clipped about two or three 
years ago from the Banner of Light, entitled, " Between 
Death and the Resurrection," and from which we quote 
the third paragraph, as follows : 

Dr. McMillan, of Allegheny, Penna., recently undertook to 
clear up this theologic muddle concerning the state of departed 
spirits up to the time of the theologic resurrection — arguing 
from his chosen text : " This day thou shalt be with me in Par- 
adise," that there is a state of conscious existence between the 
death of a body and the resurrection. Hades, or the place of 
the dead, he pronounced not the final abode of the departed, 
but an intermediate place where the righteous are separated 
from the wicked. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 411 

He said that both Scripture and experience prove that the 
soul is capable of a conscious existence apart from the body. 
Science proves that the body is simply the instrument of the 
soul's activity. He likewise maintained that psychology estab- 
lishes the fact of the soul's consciousness of events happening 
at a distance, and he related a number of incidents to illustrate 
the fact that the soul is not dependent on the body for all its 
activities. 

In his deliberate opinion, the souls of the righteous pass im- 
mediately after death into the presence of God in heaven, and 
the souls of the wicked into the place of the lost. 

Such theology does, indeed, seem strange to those who 
are familiar with Bible teachings, especially when told 
that " souls pass into heaven at death," when there 
is no promise in the Bible that any person, body, soul 
or spirit shall ever go to heaven, under any circum- 
stances whatever/ But, "The righteous shall inherit 
the land, and dwell therein FOREVER ! " See the 
37th Psalm, wherein this is promised six times ! Also, 
the declaration of Christ, Matt. 5:5," The meek shall 
inherit the earth ! " i. e., the earth in its renewed 
state. See Bible teachings. The ease of the thief on 
the cross, however, is our main thought at this time, 
and we will set some facts and points in paragraphs, 
after quoting the text, which is as follows : 

" Lord, remember me WHEN Thou comest into Thy King- 
dom." And Jesus said unto him, " Verily I say unto thee, To- 
day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." — Luke 23 : 42-43. 

1. It is very plain that the " thief" had heard Jesus 
teach that He should possess his " kingdom " in due 
time — nothing less than Land, People, Metropolis, or 
Capital — city and Laws, which, with Himself as King, 
make the five necessary elements of a kingdom. This 
is why he did not ask Jesus to take him to heaven 
[with or without " the body "], but asked Him to re- 



412 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

member him WHEN He should come into His King- 
dom. 

2. Jesus granted him his request by promising him 
then and there (" to-day "), that he should be with Him 
in Paradise. [When it is prepared, which is not yet.] 

3. The printer has made Him promise to take the 
thief with Him to Paradise on that day by placing a 
comma after thee, rather than after to-day, which would 
make it agree with the rest of the Scriptures. 

4. As punctuation is no part of the Original Greek, 
from which the text was translated, it is highly im- 
proper to use it as above quoted. 

5. That such use of the comma is wrong, may be 
seen in the fact that, according to the Bible, Paradise 
was not then, nor is it yet in existence as such. — See 
" Tree of*Life," and " Paradise/' in Rev. 2 : 7, and chap- 
ters 21 and 22. 

6. We find that three days afterward, as recorded in 
John 20 : 17, Jesus met Mary near the sepulchre, and 
as she was about to greet Him He said, " Touch me 
not ; for I have NOT YET ascended to my Father. . ." 
Now, none deny that " Father " means " God," in the 
text, and that a God is in heaven ; " many, too, accept 
the idea that Paradise is only another name for heaven. 

7. It is clear that both statements cannot be correct ; 
hence Jesus is made to contradict Himself when such 
use of the comma is allowed. 

8. If Jesus took the penitent thief with Him to 
heaven on that day, it must be the " soul " (as claimed), 
since the body remained all day upon the cross. 

9. If his "soul" was taken then to heaven, Jesus 
must, necessarily, have extracted or withdrawn it from 
the suffering man, and yet allowed him to live at least 
three hours upon the cross ! ! This is clear from the 
fact that Jesus died u about the ninth hour," or 3 p. M., 
while the two thieves were alive as late as the twelfth 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 413 

hour, or 6 p. m., else their legs would not have been 
broken by the soldiers ! ! 

10. It is popularly — though less now than formerly — 
claimed and taught that " thou" in the text under no- 
tice, means the soul, the " thinking part of man," or 
" immortal spirit" which is, closely putting it, the real 
man that Jesus took with Him that day to Paradise, or 
heaven. But when we refer to Gen. 2 : 17, where God 
said, "Thou [Adam] shalt surely die," such teachers say, 
"Of course, it does not mean the immortal spirit, or 
soul, but the body ! ! " This glaring inconsistency begs 
the question shamefully, if not viciously. 

So much for Serpent-to-Eve theology, men's tradi- 
tions, a comma in the wrong place, and an isolated case 
of the use of a capital letter (T) to emphasize the mis- 
chief done to the text by the comma! Surely, this is 
not sound theology. Then let the text have a fair 
chance to express the promise of Christ, when it will 
read : u Verily, I say unto thee to-day, shalt thou [or 
thou shalt] be with me in Paradise." When ? do you 
ask ? Let the penitent thief answer : " WHEN Thou 
comest into Thy Kingdom." There, only, will Para- 
dise be located. See Rev. 2 : 7 and 22 : 2. 

Now, if it be objected that Paradise is above us, be- 
cause Paul said he knew a man " who was caught up 
to Paradise " — 2 Cor. 12 : 4 — we remark : 

1. That the object of Christ's Revelation to John in 
vision was " to show to his servants things that must 
shortly come to pass." [If the term " shortly " be ques- 
tioned, we would say that a full 2,000 years, even, 
would be very short if compared to eternity, with 
which it must be connected at some point of time.] 
Paul calls his narrative a vision, in which a man was 
caught up into Paradise, and intimates that it was a 
glorious place, which agrees with John's vision of it, 
which he located in the " New Earth," yet future ; it 



414 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

will be in the " kingdom " which the thief had heard 
Christ talk about, and in which he asked to be re- 
membered. 

2. Paul also says, in the second verse, that this 
"man" was "caught up into the Third heaven." 

3. This goes to show that Paul understood Paradise 
and the " third heaven " to be the same as to time and 
locality; and we may infer from the evidence submitted 
that Paradise — meaning a garden of unalloyed delight 
— will be located in the " Third heaven," or heavens, 
to which Paul has here referred. 

4. We read of the three heavens, as such, but once, 
and then, in the third chapter of 2 Peter, where we 
find, "that by the word of God the heavens [that] 
WERE OF OLD .... perished (in the flood); hut the 
heavens ? . . which ARE NOW by the same word are 
kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of 
judgment and perdition of ungodly men. . . . But the 
day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night ; in 
the which the [present] heavens shall pass away 
with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with 
fervent heat : the earth also and the works that are 
therein shall be burned up. . . . Nevertheless, we, ac- 
cording to His promise, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS 
and a NEW EARTH, wherein dwelleth righteousness" 
[wherein the righteous shall dwell]. 

5. This proves that the heavens are not placed one 
above another like blocks in a monument, but that one 
was of old, one is now, and the third is TO be ; hence, 
some translate up, away ; that is, some scholars claim 
that the original will bear such rendering of the word. 
It is easy to see that the scope of the subject demands 
it. The text would then teach that the " man," in his 
vision "was caught away to Paradise, or the Third 
heaven," which is not out of harmony with Bible or other 
facts pertaining to visions. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 415 

It seems very clear that there is nothing in the 
Scriptures we have considered, that can support the 
doctrine of life between death and the resurrection, or 
a blue shy territory for the future home of immortals. 

AS THE "RICH MAN AND LAZARUS," 

see Luke, sixteenth chapter — is so differently under- 
stood by pulpiteers and their Spiritualist reviewers, a 
majority of whom are inclined to claim it for more 
or less support of conscious existence between death 
and resurrection, we deem it worth the while to briefly 
consider it candidly in the light of such facts as may 
be pertinent to the topic under review. 

Jesus " spoke to the Jews in parables " [preachers 
and teachers, please copy], and always used some 
familiar fact or tradition the prominent points of which 
were analogous to the important lessons He would 
have them learn from Him ; and they were sometimes 
so close-fitting in their application as to be keenly felt 
by them. 

One day, when He had rebuked the Scribes and 
Pharisees, virtually calling them grave traps — Luke 11 : 
44 — a lawyer took it up and answered Him. Jesus 
turned upon him with terribly scathing charges, but they 
glistened with truth and pure diction, so that though 
they " laid in wait," in order to " catch something out 
of His mouth, that they might accuse Him," yet they 
failed to do so. His figure of speech or parable acted 
as a moral Camera Obscura ; hence, a perfect picture 
was the result of the first attempt. [It is remarkable 
how few persons are satisfied with a perfect picture of 
themselves, in any sense !] 

We have been told that the story of the " Rich man 
and Lazarus " was intended to teach that the " spirits " 
of wicked [dead] persons as represented by the rich 



416 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

man, the " spirits " of good [dead] persons as repre- 
sented by the beggar, are, the one class in hell 
[eternal misery], and that the other class is in heaven 
[happiness]. 

The " spiritual " view of the subject is, however, 
quickly disposed of, by stating the fact, that not one 
tvord or clause in the entire statement contains any in- 
timation of such a thought in the mind of Him who 
taught the Jews a lesson by it. Indeed the words, 
Soul and Spirit, do not once occur in the statement. 
This leads us to conclude that the story is either literal, 
or it is a figure, or parable. 

We have been told that the story was literal ; and 
that it should be accepted as " literal history " because 
it says, " there was a certain rich man," and — so on. 
But we see nothing remarkable in that claim, since 
Jesus discoursed to them several narratives immediately 
preceding the one in question, and which began in the 
same way ; and we have never heard it denied that 
they were parables. Nevertheless, let us treat it as 
literal and see what it will make of the story : 

" There literally was a certain rich man, who was 
clothed with literal purple and fine linen. . . And 
there was a literal beggar, named Lazarus . . full of 
literal sores. And it came to pass that the beggar 
literally died, and was literally carried by the angels 
into Abraham's literal bosom. The rich man, also, 
literally died, and was literally buried ; and in hell he 
lifted up his literal eyes, being in literal torments, and " 
— the reader can apply the literal sense to the rest of 
the story, if this is not enough of absurdity. 

Let us now reduce this brief discussion to a Critic's 
Formula, and note : 

1. There is no intimation in the whole story — Luke 
16 : 19-31 — that any part of it is not literal. 

2. The literal beggar was carried into Abraham's 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 417 

literal bosom — it matters but little whether this means 
bosom, as such, or "scrip," or gripsack, which is another 
meaning of the word, seeing it was Abraham's and oc- 
cupied but little space, in either case ! The absurdity 
needs no comments. 

3. It is not stated that the beggar was ever buried 
anywhere. 

4. The rich man, being literally dead, and buried, 
and in hell, and also in torments, (? ?) he lifted up his 
literal eyes (??)!! Possibly, our excess in punctuation 
will suggest the absurdity that our comments might 
fail to express. 

5. It is clear as the entire absence of darkness, that 
whichever condition — death, life, misery or happiness, 
be allowed to the story, there is not one intimation 
that it would be eternal in duration ! — Note that, please. 

6. Hell, in the text, comes from Hades, meaning 
grave, and is so translated in 1 Cor. 15 : 55. Now, if 
we consider that, " There is no work, nor device, nor 
knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou 
goest " — Eccl. 9 : 10 — then the palpable absurdity of 
the literal view of the case, as applied to eternal misery, 
is again apparent. 

7. It is now seen that this story can in nowise teach 
or represent the doctrine of natural immortality or 
eternal misery, since it either proves too much, or is 
altogether wanting in expression. We have no doubt 
the story was a legend, an " old yarn," or tradition with 
which the Jews were familiar, and that Jesus saw its 
leading points to be so strikingly suggestive of the es- 
sential points of difference between the Jews and Gen- 
tiles then existing, and which would become no less un- 
til both should acknowledge Him, that He presented it 
as a parable, that they might see their true position, 
(then) present and prospective, as in a glass. 

With such a view of the subject, the Jews, who de- 

27 



418 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

nied Christ, were represented by the " rich man/' while 
the Gentiles, who accepted Him, were represented by 
*' Lazarus." 

With regard to the torment, in the parable, we ask 
you to read Deut. 28 : 15-68, and compare Jewish his- 
tory with it. 

The gulf fitly represents the rejection of, and per- 
sistent unbelief in the Christ, by the Jews. 

The request that one might be sent from the dead to 
convince those " brethren " who were not present to cry 
"crucify Him" was denied, with the reminder that 
<c they have Moses and the prophets, if they hear not 
them, neither will they be persuaded though one rose 
from the dead." It is remarkable that He whom they 
rejected raised one from the dead before their eyes, and 
that his. name happened to be Lazarus; and as if that 
were not enough, Jesus himself proved His mortality 
by suffering a violent death, and, also, the possibility 
of a resurrection, in that God raised Him fmm the 
dead ! True to the teaching by the parable, u they 
would not believe." 

CONCERNING THE IMMORTALITY OF ANI- 
MALS, 

we quote from reports of regular seances in Boston. 
In the Banner of Light, Aug. 28, 1886, the following 
question and answer may be found : 

Q. — Do other animals, as well as man, have a future exist- 
ence? 

A. — We have learned that all life is imperishable, that the 
principle of being, whether manifested through the human form 
or in the animal shape, is eternal, non-destructible, complete. 
Yet we are also taught that the life-principle expressing itself in 
the lowest form of insect or animal life does not necessarily 
continue in the same form after it has passed through its grade 
of development in this primal condition on earth, but that the 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY 419 

same life-principle becomes embodied in a still higher form of 
insect or animal life, there to pass through an experience and a 
certain development. 

We are told also, and learn it to be a fact from observation 
and experience in the spiritual world, that the higher types of 
animal life, the grander unfoldments of animal being, such as 
you have around you in your domestic animals, are perpetuated 
in the spiritual world. There we have forms of animal life 
more highly unfolded than those which you possess on earth, 
as distinct from the human as are your horses, dogs and other 
animals on earth distinct from your own human type of being. 

Again, from the report in the Banner, dated July 4, 
1885, we quote as follows : 

[By J. H. Gledstanes, a subscriber to the Banner.'] In the 
year 1870 Mrs. Conant buried her dog Carlo, a great favorite 
during many years ; the following day the spirit of her brother 
announced that Carlo was with him. Now that Mrs. Conant is 
herself a spirit has she her dog with her, and what am I to 
understand by the remark of a medium made to me in London, 
that a poodle dog accompanied me into the room on the occa- 
sion of my visiting him ? I had, a year before, a faithful poodle 
always with me, but it was then dead. 

A. — Through past ages mankind has assumed that life could 
only be continuous, that is expressed through human nature, 
unwilling to allow immortality for any phase or degree of life 
below that which animated the human kingdom . . . We affirm 
that although the dog, in physical life, dies, the spark of 
intelligence, the vital force which animated his form, still lives 
and may assume a form similar to that which it has discarded, 
in another sphere of being. We can speak positively on this 
question, as we have seen the forms of animal life in the spirit- 
world. Yes, Mrs. Conant has her favorite dog, Carlo, with her. 
He has been a faithful attendant of her brother Charles for 
years, in the spirit-world, and he is now with her, the pet and 
playmate of some of the little Indian spirits who are her 
messengers to beings on earth. 

Once more, we quote from the Banner of Light, 
Oct. 15, 1887, the following question and answer: 

Q. — Do animal spirits progress to the same perfection as 



420 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

human spirits ? Can they attain the same without re-embodi- 
ment in the human form? 

A. — We have never found the life-principle, or the spirit that 
once possessed an animal form on earth, but which has been, so 
to speak, translated to the other world, possessing the very same 
degree of intelligence and the faculty of expression of that 
intelligence which a human being may possess ; and yet you 
of earth have seen animals who have seemed to possess far 
greater intelligence than have some of the human beings whom 
you have all heard of and encountered. The very lowest grade 
of human life on earth, in many respects, seems to be below the 
highest grade of animal intelligence ; and in the spirit-world we 
have seen the spirits of animals that once dwelt on earth, that 
are far in advance, in intelligence, in mental capacity and 
ability, of many of the human spirits who have become decar- 
nated of the flesh. 

We doubt all claims for immortality of animals, but 
think tile foregoing transcriptions will interest those 
who wish to compare " spirit " teachings with true 
theology, as they suggest facts, thoughts and points, 
enough to make a volume. 

CONCERNING THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF 

"SPIRITS" 

they are said to speak of themselves when questioned. 
In the Banner of Light, Dec. 31, 1887, a seance report 
furnishes the following question and answer, which will 
be interesting to students and much thinkers. 

Q. — [By A. B. Alexander.] It is claimed by many spirits 
that, prior to their living on the mortal plane, they had an exist- 
ence. Is it possible that a positive knowledge of such an exist- 
ence has been demonstrated to any individual spirit f 

A. — We do not think that such a pre-existence has been 
positively demonstrated by any individual spirit to mortals, nor 
do we think it possible for any spirit to so demonstrate the 
truth of such statement at the present time. We believe, 
personally, in pre-existence ; we believe that the soul is eternal ; 
that it never had a beginning, and will never end. But we 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 421 

believe there was a time when each soul that expressed itself 
as a conscious individual entity, became aware of its conscious- 
ness, of its personality, of its possible powers of expressing that 
identity. So far as we have judged this subject from our obser- 
vations we have come to the conclusion that every soul that has 
expressed itself through mortal life, or has attempted to impress 
its personality upon the things of matter on this planet, had a 
partially conscious existence as an individual entity, but that 
its direct personal identity had not, at least, in every case, been 
established previous to its existence on this planet. It is our 
belief that there are individual spirits who have come into life 
and conscious being on this material plane who have had an 
individualized, conscious, active existence upon other planes or 
planets. 

Having disproved all claims to any existence of such 
spirits, the question needs no further comment. 



THE NEW BIRTH, 

as taught in the Gospel by John, and enlarged upon in 
his first Epistle, is so variously understood by Preachers, 
Free-thinkers and Spiritualists, that we should not be 
excused for " hiding our light under a bushel," by keep- 
ing silence. We had thought to review several articles 
on the subject, but lack of space in our plan of the 
work forbids it; however, a brief direct examination 
may be sufficient to bring out some points which to 
many persons will be new and useful, as they are very 
interesting. 

According to John 3 : 3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, 
" Except a man be born again — margin, from above — 
he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Nicodemus, not 
understanding the saying, inquired how that could be. 
Let us hear Jesus explain it to him. 

First, Changing the expression in v. 5, He says : 
"Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he 
cannot enter the Kingdom of God." 



422 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Second, He says in verse 6, " That which is born of 
the flesh is flesh ; and that which is born of the Spirit 
is Spirit." 

Third, " Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must 
be born — -from above " (see margin) ; ver. 7. 

Fourth, " The wind bloweth where it listeth, and 
thou hearest the Sound thereof, but canst not tell whence 
it cometh, and whither it goeth (ver. 8) ; so is every 
one that is born of the Spirit" — not born a spirit, 
neither born from the grave, there being no such talk 
in the entire account. Nevertheless, its theology, 
practically accepted, points with the finger of Hope 
TO A resurrection from the grave. 

From the text and the Four explanations of it, we 
gather the following points : 

1. We find nothing about any conscious entities other 
than living human beings, which have "flesh and 
bones." 

2. We find that not one word is said about the earth, 
or the grave. 

3. This birth is of, or from " the Spirit," and also, of 
" water ; " only. 

4. The term, "born again" — margin, "from above,' 1 
which occurs in the text, is repeated in the explana- 
tion. 

a. The term, " the Spirit," is used three times in the 
answer given to Nicodemus, by Jesus, and means the 
[almighty] influence of God, as when used for the first 
time in the Bible, and occurs in the Third sentence 
in it. 

b. In John 17 : 1, we read, Jesus lifted up His eyes 
to heaven, and said, " Father," i. e., God, " the hour is 
come." This shows that heaven is above, and that God 
is in heaven (Eccl. 5:2); hence His influence, or 
" Spirit," proceeds " from above ; " and we can conceive 

that A WILLING MIND OVERWHELMED BY IT, WOULD HAVE 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 423 
ITS CHARACTER SO RADICALLY CHANGED, AS TO BE NOTHING 

less than conversion, in the Gospel sense of the word, 
or term. 

c. John, in his first Epistle, calls this new character 
of mind, Bom of God, and, as if he would leave no 
question of identity, he dove-tails into the term the 
character of true conversion, by writing in the same 
letter the following texts : Chap. 2, verse 29, " If ye 
know that He is righteous, ye know that every one that 
doeth righteousness is born of Him " [God]. Again, 
Chap. 5 : 1, " Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the 
Christ, is born of God, and every one that loveth 
Him that begat, loveth him also that is begotten of 
Him." 

d. This brings to view Christian love ; that which 
John teaches is the result of conversion, and always a 
proof of it. The importance of the possession of it is 
seen in the Fourth Chapter of this character — istic let- 
ter, verse 7 : " Brethren, let us love one another ; [why ?] 
for love is OF God, and every one that loveth [the 
brethren], is born of God, and knoweth God." 

We remark, now, that if any of our intelligent 
readers demand more Scriptural evidence that, " Born 
of God," means true Christian conversion, we are only 
sorry that we cannot relieve their ? ? Moreover, if any 
student claims that this moral process, or miraculous 
change of mind (heart) means " begotten," or the be- 
gettal of a new character to be fully developed by a 
birth of the entire body from the grave (state of 
death) at the first resurrection, we shall not oppose the 
theory. 

Seeing now, that the doctrine of the New Birth is so 
closely connected with the remarkable assertion of John, 
in the same Epistle which we have noticed — Chap. 3, 
verse 9 — Candid Reader will not excuse an omission 
to notice it, inasmuch as many Spiritualists and relig- 



424 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

ionists view it differently, and often, strangely. We 
will consider the question, briefly. The following is 
the text : 

" Whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin ; 
for his seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot sin, be- 
cause he is born of God." 

Upon this reading, Honest Skeptic inquires how it is 
that certain ministers and many other professedly 
Christian men have been found guilty of fraud for gain, 
or crime for pleasure, since no better examples than 
they apparently were, are to be found. He also asks, 
" Did Peter not sin when he denied Christ, and swore 
that he did not know him ? " We answer, he did. 
"Had he not been converted?" We think he had. 
" And did Judas not sin when he sold the Saviour into 
a cruel .death ? " He did. " Was he not a converted 
man ? " We think not. His convictions were deep 
enough to lead him in the way for a while but his heart 
was still set more for money than for Christ; and 
when he had sinned, he was sorry, but his sorrow was 
not unto repentance ; but unto crime, even to death by 
suicide ; hence, he hanged himself ! 

Peter "wept bitterly" over his sin, and his sorrow 
was unto repentance ; hence, the Lord forgave him, and 
he became a mighty preacher of the good news of the 
Kingdom. 

i( Nevertheless," continues Honest Skeptic, " the fact 
remains that he did sin, even though he was said to be 
' born of God,' and his subsequent life seemed to prove 
it; yet does the text not virtually say that such an one 
cannot sin ? " We answer, it does, by itself, because it 
is not qualified by John's explanation, given elsewhere 
in the same letter, or epistle. We quote Chap. 5, verses 
16,17: 

" If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not 
unto death, he shall ask, and ye shall give [or allow] 



SriRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 425 

him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a 
sin unto death ; I do not say that he shall pray for it ! 
All unrighteousness is sin ; and there is a sin not unto 
death." 

This, evidently, is the key to the subject, as it proves 
that there are Two kinds of sin. One kind comprises 
unrighteous thoughts, words and actions which are not 
knowingly and willingly planned ; and God, doubtless, 
knows that as soon as such are seen by the believer, he 
will at once confess and forsake them, when He will 
forgive him for the sake of Christ who is our advocate. 
Such sins — the penitent sinner's sins — are " not unto 
[the second] death." 

But the sin unto (the second) death comprises de- 
liberate unrighteous schemes, and defiant words and 
acts against Deity, as in Matt. 12 : 24, when certain 
Pharisees ascribed the power of God in casting out de- 
mons, to the work of Satan, which Jesus said would 
not be forgiven — probably because they had become rep- 
robate, and hence, would not repent; therefore such 
sin would be " unto [the second] death." Deliberate 
suicide would of necessity belong to the same class of 
"unrighteousness." 

The text, paraphrased with John's explanation, would 
read thus : 

" Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin 
[unto the second death] ; for his seed remaineth in 
him, and he cannot sin \_unto the second death"], because 
he is born of God" (Converted to Him). If it be said 
that this is assurance of eternal life, we will not object ; 
but we cannot boast of it, seeing there is no margin for 
us, for any known unrighteousness. Students will please 
compare this with the parable of the sower, and Heb. 
6:4; also Heb. 10 : 26. 



426 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 



CHRIST ENTERING THE DISCIPLES' ROOM, 

— "the door being shut" John 20: 19, 26 — has been 
used by Spiritualists as Bible evidence of demateriali- 
zation ; while plain skeptics have ridiculed it by saying 
that He went through the keyhole, which is neither 
fact nor argument. The following clipping from a 
regular seance report in the Banner of Light, will 
serve to call out a line of facts. It is based on the 
theory of" Pre-existence of Christ" (see in this topic), 
which plain Scripture does not support. The demons 
have offered this cheap grade of false theology, and 
dressed it with indefiniteness, thus : 

Q. — [By William Osgood.] We read in the gospel of St. 
John, xx : 19, that Jesus entered the room where the disciples 
were gathered, " the doors being shut." Does that fact prove 
that Jesus was divested of his natural or earthly body ? 

A. — It seems so ; although in the developments of the 
phenomenal portion of Modern Spiritualism, history records in 
this present generation that mediums have been taken from one 
locality and transported, so the record says, to a distant locality, 
even taken through apparently " closed doors " or sealed apart- 
ments. If this be true, and careful investigators and scientific 
minds declare that such has been their observation, then we 
may not disbelieve that in the times of Jesus it was possible 
for such a spiritualized medium as he must have been to be 
transported in a like manner from one place to another, even 
while he was invested with a mortal form. But so far as we 
understand anything of this occurrence from the records that 
have been preserved in the spiritual life, we are taught that the 
Nazarene, at the time the question speaks of, was not clothed 
upon as a body of flesh, but it was a distinctively spiritual man- 
ifestation ; the spirit itself was divested of its outside body of 
flesh, and was powerful enough to consciously and tangibly 
manifest itself to those before whom he appeared. 

We make a few notes : 

1. It is not said to be a regular meeting, and it was a 
private one for reasons given. 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 427 

2. The doors were shut, but not said to be fastened. 

3. It was the custom to knock for entrance when a 
door was shut. 

4. Jesus had no occasion to knock, under the circum- 
stances. 

5. He had the power to move the fastenings, and to 
hold their attention from it, as He did on the occasion 
of the Seven-mile walk to Emmaus. — Luke 24 : 16. 
We see no evidence of a great miracle, either in fact or 
necessity. 

THE TRANSFIGURATION OF CHRIST 

is often quoted by preachers in support of natural im- 
mortality, and Spiritualists utilize their arguments to 
support Spiritualism. The following is the first para- 
graph of the editorial in the Banner of Light, May 21, 
1887. It is headed, 

CHRIST AND THE ANGELS. 

On this subject Rev. Dr. J. P. Newman recently delivered 
two discourses in Washington, the doctrines contained in which 
were full of the truths revealed by Spiritualism. He gave a 
graphic description of the scene on Mount Tabor, when Christ 
was transfigured while in prayer with Peter, James and John, 
the light from heaven suddenly shining brightly around them, 
and the forms of Moses and Elias standing with Christ in a 
halo of glory before the three chosen disciples. 

Dr. Newman's argument was that, from the appearance of 
Moses and Elias, persons who have passed from this life are not 
dead, but have passed into life eternal, and that they constitute 
a great family in the presence of God the Father. He believed 
that the world of nature and the world of spirits were closely 
related. He believed in a future life very near to this one, and 
right now and for all time. He said that to him there was no 
death, but the grave is the entrance into life. 

It makes our heart sad to know that Christian min- 
isters are so inconsistent as to decry Spiritualism, and 



428 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

then in their pulpits preach and teach the only founda- 
tion of Spiritualism — " There is no death " — when not 
one straight, plain text can be quoted from Bible teach- 
ings in support of it, and but one from its historical 
department, and which says, in Gen. 3 : 4, " Ye shall 
NOT surely die" — and this, too, by the God-defying 
impudence of the devil ! It is natural, as it is con- 
sistent for Spiritualism to appropriate and utilize such 
sermons. 

But we will note the facts and points in the narra- 
tive as given by Luke in the 9th chapter, 26-37th 
verses, and also in Matt. 16 and Mark 9. We find : 

1. That Jesus said, " There be some standing here 
which shall not taste of death till they see the King- 
dom of God." 

2. -That about one week afterward, He took Peter, 
James, and John his brother, upon a mountain to pray, 
and was transfigured before them in a glorious man- 
ner. 

3. There APPEARED unto them Moses and Elias 
talking with them. 

4. A bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice 
out of the cloud said : " This is my beloved SON ; hear 
Him." 

5. At this, they were afraid, and fell on their faces ; 

6. Jesus came and touched them and said : " Arise, 
and be not afraid ; " and when they did so, " they saw 
no man, but Jesus, only." 

7. They came down from the mountain, and Jesus 
charged them to tell the VISION to no man until He 
should be risen from the dead. 

From these facts we discover the following points : 
First, It was a vision, hence more apparent than real, 

and was seen by three witnesses. 

Second, It was doubtless a miniature representation 

of Christ's future, literal kingdom, of which they had 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 429 

heard Him speak so often ; and this, even, was so glo- 
rious that Peter quite forgot his wife and friends, being 
dazed (" not knowing what he said ") to that degree 
of satisfaction with the place, that he proposed to build 
tabernacles and abide there ! No wonder that he men- 
tioned it thirty years afterward — 2 Pet. 1 : 16, 

Third, It was a graphic representation of the two 
classes of persons who will inhabit the kingdom, and 
which seems to have been the chief object of the man- 
ifestation. The scene presents Christ as the recognized 
Son of the Father, who is, therefore, the prospective 
ruler "under the whole heaven" (Dan. 7:27), — the 
" King of Kings." Moses, also, represented the saints 
raised from the dead, while Elias represented the right- 
eous who shall be living at the time of Christ's Second 
Coming, and who, like Him, will be translated without 
dying. 

Fourth, Spiritualism is entirely ignored in the sub- 
lime presentation as an object-lesson, it being based on 
the idea of a literal resurrection of the dead. 

"I AM THY FELLOW-SERVANT, 

and i one ' of the prophets," is a monstrous misquota- 
tion, and one of Satan's best cards, as an effort to 
support the impudent falsehood which he " controlled," 
or directed his medium to state, in Eden, viz. : " Ye 
shall not surely die." The first time we saw the error, 
printed, was Twenty-nine years ago, when reading a 
current number of the Banner of Light — Nov. 22, 1862 
— where it occurs in an article written by E. C. Dunn, 
and is misquoted from Rev. 22 : 8, 9, as follows : 

"And I, John, saw these things and heard them ; and 
when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship 
before the feet of the angel which showed me these 
things. Then saith he unto me, ' see thou do it not ; 



430 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

for I am thy fellow-servant, and one of the prophets, 
and of them that keep the sayings of this Book : wor- 
ship God.' " 

Two minor errors in punctuation in this misquota- 
tion are unimportant, but the insertion of the word 
"one," in italics, too, makes the text prove Two 
colossal errors, and thus places it in conflict with 
Bible teachings. They are, First, that angels were once 
human beings; and Second, that as such, they can 
communicate with mortals. If this were true, then 
Satan's teachings would be radically right, while 
God's teachings would be radically wrong. The text 
under notice is often thus misquoted by those who 
would prove natural immortality or Spiritualism ; and 
many, quoting from hearsay, believe that the text is as 
above quoted. 

We talked, while walking with a radical Spiritualist, 
in Camden, N. J., recently, who was astonished when 
we told him that the little word of Three letters — one 
— which he used as above quoted, was not in the text, 
and, also, why it would alter the meaning amazingly. 
That part of the text is stated thus : " Then saith he 
unto me, ' See thou do it not : for I am thy fellow- 
servant, AND of thy brethren, the prophets, AND of them 
which keep the sayings of this book : worship God." 
This simply teaches that John must not worship the 
angel, for he was " his fellow-servant and [the fellow- 
servant] of the prophets, and [the fellow-servant] of 
them which keep the sayings of this book " — not those 
who pervert them or reject them. We have already 
shown that the Devil traded the whole human family 
to his executioner, Death, for a small consideration ; 
and that he did it through his agent, the medium, who 
persuaded its representatives to insert a little word — 
not — [only three letters] — into their Life-Title, which 
made it claim " no-accountability ; " in other words 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 431 

" Ye shall not surely die ; " but its utter worthlessness 
as a document, is realized on every death-bed, and seen 
in every Cemetery on earth ! 

Nevertheless, though the graves are cased in granite, 
and marble shafts pointing heaven-ward are resting 
upon them, Christ holds the key which shall, in due 
time, unlock every grave, and thus free every one of 
Death's prisoners ! No wonder that John, in his vision, 
heard " much people " (not all) saying, "ALLELUIA ! 
SALVATION, and GLORY, and HONOR, and 
POWER unto the LORD OUR GOD ! " 

Now we see that when the misquotation is corrected, 
it fails to support Spiritualism. 

Since writing the above we were invited by a 
minister to go and hear a discourse on " The recogni- 
tion of our friends in heaven," as advertised by an up- 
town church in Camden, N. J., which we gladly 
accepted. 

The pastor based his discourse on angels as minister- 
ing spirits, and argued that human spirits of good dead 
people, being equal to the angels, can " minister " as 
well ! [All this to be prior to the Resurrection and 
Judgment ! !] The sermon, eloquently delivered, was 
equal, in force and argument, to any Spiritualist lecture 
we have ever heard, or seen printed. When speaking 
of his deceased sister he said : " You may call it fool- 
ishness, or wild fanaticism ; but / saw the face of my 
sister ! " 

Further on he quoted, or rather misquoted, Rev. 22 : 
8, 9, exactly as our Spiritualist friend above quoted, 
did ; and to our sorrow, he repeated it ! We say 
sorrow, because that nearly every seat was filled — 
about 1200 — and half of the hearers were young or 
quite young persons; hence many must have been 
misled, if Spiritualism be a great error, as we think we 
have proved. 



432 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 



"PREACHING TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON," 

as quoted from the Apostle Peter, is often claimed by 
Spiritualists to support their philosophy ; yet, strange 
to say, the " spirit controls," at a regular seance which 
was reported in the Banner of Light, Jan. 20, 1885, 
claim that the " spirits in prison " were, really, ignorant 
(living) human beings. We give it entire, for the 
benefit of many students, to whom it will be new : 

Q. — [By J. Thurlby, Hazelton, Pa.] Have the spirits whom 
our Saviour Jesus Christ preached to, as recorded in 1st St. Peter, 
third chapter, nineteenth verse, any recollection of those ser- 
mons? If so could they kindly furnish us extracts, together 
with information as to whether the Christian doctrine is still 
preached ? 

A. — Undoubtedly, if time and favorable conditions were 
given to the spirits mentioned in the passage of Scripture 
referred to by your correspondent, they would be enabled to 
recall the particular lessons imparted to them, and furnish 
extracts from or a synopsis of those lessons to mortals. 

But presuming that a medium, or a number of mediums, 
especially adapted to such a work and to such controls, should 
be found, and those spirits were enabled to give through such 
mediums extracts from the lessons received from the Nazarene 
by those in prison, who shall say that the extracts furnished 
would be verbatim reports of what was originally delivered ? 

We think there has been a mistake made concerning the 
passage of Scripture which claims that the Nazarene " preached 
to spirits in prison." We are taught that the " spirits " referred 
to were neither men nor women, nor confined by bolts and bars 
in material dungeons, but were spirits encased in mortal flesh, 
human beings, ignorant of the laws of life, of higher conditions 
of being, of the nature of spiritual life, or, in fact, of the char- 
acter, the true nature of their own spirits. 

We believe that the Nazarene taught these individuals con- 
cerning the better way, showed them how they could lead pure 
and good lives, pointed them to higher objects than they had 
known before ; in short, directed their minds and attention to 
spiritual things. We believe that those ignorant beings received 
light, instruction, knowledge, and a comprehension of truth and 
were thus led to adopt a higher plane of life than they had 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 433 

hitherto known, simply because of the teachings imparted to 
them by the man of Nazareth. 

The passage in 1 Peter 3 : 18-20, reads as follows : 

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the un- 
just, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the 
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit; by which also he went and 
preached unto the spirits in prison ; which sometime were dis- 
obedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the 
days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that 
is, eight souls were saved by water. 

On carefully studying this peculiar passage of Scrip- 
ture (and its connections) which is so ambiguous to 
common readers, and not clear to all scholars, we have 
noted the following facts and points : 

1. It embraces the history of two classes of persons 
having diverse characters. 

2. It serves as a double illustration in Peter's brief 
treatise on suffering, as a possible result of accepting 
the high standard of social, moral, and religious duties 
which he enjoins upon believers, in the first Eleven 
verses of the Chapter quoted. Rejecters suffer, but with 
a different result, as will be seen. 

3. Comprehending so many facts in one passage, 
makes it very parenthetical ; hence, not clear to many 
readers. 

4. We analyze the passage by omitting the paren- 
thetical words and clauses, without changing either, 
when it reads as follows, including verses 21 and 22. 

" For Christ . . hath . . suffered, . . being put to death, 
. . but quickened by the Spirit, (. . which . . preached 
unto the . . disobedient . . in the days of Noah, while 
the ark was . . preparing, wherein . . Eight souls were 
saved . .) is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand 
of God ; angels and authorities and powers being made 
subject unto Him." 

28 



434 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

5. Now we can easily see that Peter's chief thought 
was to show that, although Christ was the very embodi- 
ment of the social and moral qualities which he had so 
faithfully taught believers in the forepart of the Chapter, 
yet He suffered death for well-doing — as they, might do 
— but He was raised from the dead — as they will be — 
and afterward exalted (as they will also be). 

6. The rejecters of counsel through divine truth are 
represented by those who for their wickedness, perished 
(ver. 20) ; but with the difference that they will not be 
raised to be exalted, but, rather to be judged and die 
the " second death." 

7. The passage teaches that the same (Holy) Spirit 
that moved the angel to open the sepulchre, in spite of 
the great stone and the Roman guards, had long before 
moved'Noah to "preach" to those "disobedient" ante- 
diluvians, Salvation by the Ark, but they refused to 
accept it. They are called " spirits " in the text, as 
persons in other texts are sometimes called. 

8. A parenthesis is indicated in ver. 21, but on ex- 
amination nothing could be more evident than that it 
should enclose verses 19, 20, and 21, which refer to 
Noah and the flood, and which are decidedly paren- 
thetical, as we have shown in paragraph 4, and onward. 
We see no support for Spiritualism in the passage when 
it is fairly treated, especially, as " spirits " call the 
"disobedient" ones, "human beings" still in the 
" mortal flesh," as in our quotation. 

THE PRE-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST. 

Very much might be said on this great question^ which 
is of vast importance, as well. All Christian believers 
and defenders of the Bible should see that their posi- 
tion is taken on the line of Scripture teachings, known 
facts and common sense. If it is not, it will be terribly 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 435 

damaged by reviews and criticisms ; for in these days 
all theories are put to a crucial test, and that of the 
Pre-existence of Christ is no exception. Naturally, 
Spiritualists do not oppose it, per se, but only as it is 
connected with the "God-Head," or "Trinity" theory, 
and for a very good reason. 

The narrative of the birth, childhood, and manhood 
of Jesus the Christ is so familiar that we need not 
quote it in detail at this time. We accept the account 
so naturally and truthfully given by Luke, in the first 
Two Chapters. This " babe " wrapped in " swaddling 
clothes," was not God, by prophecy, not by promise, 
nor ever by His own claim ; neither by Bible history ; 
but He became divine, for " the child grew," and the 
" grace of God was upon Him;" hence, He "waxed 
strong in spirit," and became " filled with wisdom." 

At the youthful age of Twelve years, a Degree of 
Divinity was conferred upon Him, and He was " found 
in the Temple at Jerusalem, sitting in the midst of the 
Doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions ; 
and all that heard Him were astonished at His under- 
standing and answers." Having thus found Him, His 
parents asked Him about the matter, when He " amazed 
them " by asking, " Wist (knew) ye not that I must 
be about MY FATHER'S business ? " We do not won- 
der that " they understood not His saying," when in 
His wisdom He knew that God was His Father, and that 
He had " business " for Him to attend to. (Teachers 
of Theology please copy.) "And Jesus increased in 
wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man." 

The next we learn of Him, He is teaching, preach- 
ing and doing miracles, thus proving his divinity, that 
is, His possession of Divine power; and remember, it 
was not His, naturally, as God, for it was given Him : 
this He says Himself, in Matt. 28 : 18. Furthermore, 
this Divine power was afterward taken from Him. Do 



436 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

you doubt it ? Then note that significant appeal : My 
God'! Why hast Thou forsaken Me? This was Satan's 
only chance, and he, through his agents, killed him ! 

Here, we are confronted with John 1 : 1-3, 4, to 
prove Christ's pre-existence, or eternal Sonship ; there- 
fore, we note some facts and points : 

1. Christ is not mentioned in the texts quoted. 

2. Christ \_Qr. Christos~\ is not in the Greek text! 

3. The term, " Word," is claimed by many to mean 
Christ, but the original is logos (not Christbs), which 
means, word, speech, discourse ; and by some, wisdom 
and account. It does not mean a simple arrangement 
of letters which make a "word," but a speech, or state- 
ment, suggesting the power of moral authority ; indeed 
one writer has claimed that it should be translated 
power, in the passages under notice, as meaning, or re- 
ferring to the power that accompanies Almighty speech — 
" He spake, and it was done." 

Moreover, Gilbert Wakefield is said to have trans- 
lated the text thus : " In the beginning was Wisdom, 
and Wisdom was with God, and Wisdom was God, The 
same was in the beginning with God. All things were 
made by it, and without it was nothing made," etc. ; 
also verse 14, as follows : " And this Wisdom became 
flesh and dwelt among us," etc.— doubtless referring to 
Christ, who was an embodiment of the Father's Wis- 
dom and Power which He needed in His work of human 
salvation, but not as a forming principle, necessary to a 
work of Creation. 

Again, in connection with the texts quoted, Christ, 
as a moral and spiritual Light, and, hence, a Guide, is 
metaphorically referred to, for He calls Himself the 
" Light of the world," in Chap. 9 : 5. Many other titles 
refer to particular qualities, or attributes, as " Life," 
"Door," "Rock," "Vine," "Lamb," and "Morning 
Star," as well. We think there is not even standing 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 437 

room for " Pre-existence," in the texts we have 
noticed. 

Now, Radical Ghostman thinks he sees trouble for 
us, and a point for Spiritualism, in Col. 1 : 15-17, which 
reads as follows : 

" Who [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the 
first-born of every creature ; (16) for by Him [Christ] 
were all things created, that are in heaven, and that 
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be 
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers ; all 
things were created by Him, and for Him ; (17) and 
He is before all things, and by Him all things exist." 

Our imaginary interviewer has certainly made a show 
of opposition ; and we are frank enough to admit that 
the 16th verse, as it stands, without the last clause — 
" and for Him " — is not only a flat contradiction of the 
teachings of the Bible, but it also teaches an infinite 
absurdity ; not less than that Christ not only made fish, 
animals, man, and angels, but that He made Himself!! 
Many years ago, this troubled us very much, and when 
we asked for light, none gave it. 

One day, on reading carefully, we discovered that the 
last clause in the verse, " and for Him" was the key to 
the true rendering of the Greek text. We had found 
that the Bible teaches that Christ shall possess the 
kingdom " under the whole heaven," as the " king of 
kings;" and then it occurred to us that, therefore, all 
things were made for Him. Next, we found that 
Paul stamps the idea, fact, by declaring in Heb. 2 : 10, 
that " FOR Him [Jesus] are all things." and that 
"by [or, on account of~\ whom are all things" We 
think it no wonder that God had glory (in prospect) 
with His Son when He anticipated the time of His ac- 
tual possession of His kingdom ! Further investigation 
gave us the following points : 

First, That the Greek prepositions rendered, "by" 



438 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

in the 16th verse, are, also, translated in, through, for, 
because of and numerous other words, and used so as to 
best express the thought of the original text, in the 
judgment of the translator. 

Second, That the scope of the subject, as taught 
throughout the Bible, demands that, for, should take 
the place of the first " by," and that, because of, should 
take the place of the second " by," when all would be 
plain to a careful reader who remembers that "for" 
which begins the 16 th verse, takes the sense of there- 
fore. 

Third, The clause, " the first-born of every crea- 
ture," in the 15th verse, is explained in the 18th verse, 
to mean, the first-born from the dead (to immortality), 
as He was the first — (and only) born (or begotten) of 
the Father ; hence He is called " the head of the 
Church" — "the beginning" (of it). 

Fourth, The expression, " He is before all things," 
in the 17th verse, is in the sense of importance in and 
to the world, rather than in the sense of priority to it. 
We notice in verse 3, the Fatherhood of God, as well 
as the Sonship of Christ, for Paul declares that God is 
the "FATHER or Our Lord Jesus Christ," and 
speaks of Him as a "DEAR SON," in ver. 13; a Re- 
deemer in ver. 14, and, also, a Sacrifice to death; a 
world made for Him, ver. 16 ; that He is " the head 
of the Church, who is the beginning" [of it], and " the 
first-born from the dead " [to immortality], ver. 18. But 
why all this remarkable experience ? " That in all 
things He might have the pre-eminence" ver. 18. What 
was the object ? " That in Him should all fulness 
dwell," ver. 19. Now, we ask, When shall all this 
" pre-eminence " and " fulness " be ? " When Christ 
shall sit in the Throne of his Glory." Matt. 19 : 28, 
and 25 : 31. Say, candid student, Is not this great glory 
still prospective? 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 439 

Fifth, In view of facts and points already noted, we 
may read our quotation — Colossians 1 : 15-19 — as 
follows : 

Who (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the first-born 
[from death to immortality'] of every creature; For, for Him were 
all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, 
visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or 
principalities, or powers : all things were created because of Him, 
and for Him. And He is before all things, and because of Him 
all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the Church ; 
who is the beginning [of it], the first-born [to immortality] from 
the dead ; that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. 
For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell. 

Sixth, Jesus always claimed His relation to God as 
His Son, calling Him "FATHER" when a youth, and 
in manhood as well. His expression, " My Father," 
occurs more than Forty times, and His title, " Son 
of God," and of the " Father," is found Forty-nine 
times ! 

Seventh, Paul never taught " pre-existence," but says 
in Heb. 2 : 9, that " Jesus was made a little lower than 
the angels . . . that He should taste death for every 
man." Thus, His mortality was proved ; for, remem- 
ber, that whatever constituted Christ, died — no hints 
by the Evangelists that His body died, while His spirit 
survived as a conscious entity. 

Now, we are directed to John 10 : 30, where Jesus 
says : " I and my Father are one." One what ? One 
person ? 0, No ! That would be a monster ; and no 
good person would like to think that Deity was a mon- 
strosity! Read the preceding verses, and the 17th 
Chapter together, and you will see that the oneness con- 
sisted in their common purpose to complete the work 
of salvation for those who believed in Christ. More- 
over, on this very occasion, the Jews actually " took up 
stones" to kill Him, because He said, " I am the Son 



440 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

of God ! " A long remove, truly, from teaching His pre- 
existence. 

Yet one more claim is made for the doctrine of 
Christ's pre-existence in the following passage, being a 
part of His wonderful prayer in the 17th chapter of 
John : " Oh, Father, glorify thou Me with thine own 
self, with the glory which I had with thee before the 
world was." 

Christ is heir to the Throne of all thrones, but He 
has never taken it. When he does take it, He will be 
in His glory. His coronation will be the most glory- 
dazing event in earth's history; but being in the 
future, it is now, as it was ever in the purpose of God 
— prospective. No " Pre-existence," then, or other 
support for Spiritualism in this claim. 

The .vast importance of this question may be seen 
when we remark that, if eternal misery was the 
penalty for sin, and that Christ, even though He were 
immortal, had proposed to ransom the sinner, He could 
not complete the contract in time to free him, hence he 
could not be saved ! Again, if we say, with the Bible, 
that death [after judgment] is the penalty for sin, and 
still claim that Christ was pre-existent, it is very plain 
that Christ could not ransom the sinner, because He 
could not die, being immortal ; hence in this case, also, 
the sinner could not be saved ! ! 

To assert that God changed Christ from immortality 
to mortality, or, that He Himself did it, would be to 
beg the all-important question to a degree, we think, 
far worse than Spiritualists do when they quote their 
best principles from the Bible after they have con- 
demned its pages! Indeed, the idea (which the 
theory involves), that God detached a part of His pre- 
existent, immortal self as a joint Deity, and then mor- 
talized it so as to allow the Devil to murder it in order 
to remedy a defect in his imperfect scheme of salvation, 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 441 

is enough, we think, to make demons rejoice while they 
boom " revivals " in Spiritualism ! 

Another strong argument against " Pre-existence " 
is, that the typical sacrifice must be not only a com- 
plete living creature when offered, but he must be killed 
— the entire lamb — not a part, say one leg, leaving him 
three, by which means he could still run and find 
pasture, but the whole of him must be offered in and 
through DEATH — say, candid student, can the anti- 
type be less than the type ? If so, then Christ might 
have had a small part of Himself killed — say His body 
— said to be " only the casket," or " the house in which 
the real person lives," on which principle the real Christ 
might, notwithstanding the funeral and the guarded 
tomb, be on official business — doing good ! Again, 
Paul says that when Christ had " HIMSELF purged 
our sins [by DEATH] He sat down on the right hand 
of the Majesty on high " — Heb. 1 : 3. Now tell us, 
Candid Student, Did His Spirit sit there without His 
body ? If so, let us not denounce Spiritualism ! 

We will now further consider our Seventh paragraph 
point, and show, briefly, that Christ's nature was 
identical with that of Adam's posterity. We think 
Paul understood true theology. He wrote " Hebrews." 
The two first chapters are a marvelous presentation of 
quantity and quality of theology. From it we learn : 

1. That both man and Christ were made [did not 
assume or choose to be] lower than the [good] angels, 
so they could suffer DEATH — the angels having 
gained immortality, cannot die; hence, the then 
present difference which the language implies. 

Touching the difference, just named, it is interesting 
to notice that the marginal reading, " a little lower than 
the angels," in the second chapter is, "a little while 
inferior to" (the angels), thus implying a limit to the 
time of such inferiority, or mortal condition for them. 



442 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

What was, or is, the limit ? We answer, with Christ, 
it was Thirty-three years, during which time He 
became Divine by PERFECT obedience, and was made 
IMMORTAL through death and resurrection ! With 
man (if obedient) it averages exactly the same — Thirty- 
three years ! If disobedient, or wicked, his (second) 
death, that is, state of being dead, will continue as 
long as the state of being alive will continue to saints 
and holy angels — eternally ! Notice, that the time 
of being mortal — "a little while" — and of being 
immortal is the same with Christ as with man ; also, 
that the time of mortality is far less than an instant or 
a flash, when compared with the duration of immor- 
tality ! 

We might notice, too, in verses 6, 9, that Paul speaks 
of " crowning with glory and honor," and, also, rule, 
applying the same language to man and to Christ ; and 
he declares in verses 16, 17, that " He took not on 
Him the nature of angels [immortality], but He took on 
Him the seed of Abraham [mortality] ; wherefore in 
all things it behooved him [was proper] to be made 
like unto His brethren . . ." It is clear that Christ's 
nature and future possibilities were the same as man's, 
except His (then) present moral perfection, and His 
future Kingly glory ! 

2. Another proof that Christ was made lower than 
the angels, is, that they, being immortal, were never tired, 
although their work was sometimes very great ; but 
Jesus, journeyingfrom Judea to Galilee, became ''wearied 
with His journey" as He came to Sychar, about mid- 
day, where He " sat on Jacob's well," to rest Himself. 
— See John 4:6. 

3. None will deny that Jesus was immortal when 
He sent His revelation to John, by His angel. Suppose 
we hear and accept His plain declaration concerning 
Himself in Rev. 1:18: "I am He that liveth, and 



SriRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 443 

WAS DEAD, and, behold, / am alive FOREVER- 
MORE ! ! " 

Well here is direct testimony, and, like the preceding 
evidences, makes no qualifications whatever. Surely, 
we must conclude that we have found rock bottom for 
our — No, not ours, but the Bible position. But hark ! 
we hear footsteps! — Tis Rev. Modern Theology, D. 
D., coming up the walk. Let's hear his views on the 
conclusion to which we have arrived. 

" 0, it will please him, of course," exclaims Radical 
Qhostman, " because he hates Spiritualism so." 

After scanning the question, and our answer to it, 
the Doctor said, " 0, that's all right, Christ died for the 
sinner ; yes, He — well, of course, it was His body that 
died — was crucified, but His spirit could not die ; that 
was immortal — a part of God Himself! " 

Now Radical is pleased clear up to a high point of 
pleasure, for he can account for Christ's getting into the 
disciple's room (after His death) " when the doors were 
shut ; " His transfiguration ; Paul's visit to the Third 
Heaven ; and hence, for modern mediumship, seeing 
that man had the same nature before death that Christ 
did, and returns in a similar manner after the death of 
the body ! 

Now we can see how the good Doctor, though preach- 
ing Salvation, through Christ, has made the mistake of 
filing Satan's Old Saw — " Ye shall not surely die " — for 
him, and he will use it to divide or weaken some of the 
preacher's pastoral work, sooner or later, in favor of 
Spiritualism ! Alas ! that so few good people study to 
know what is in the ivay of Truth, as well as to know 
the direction of it ! The best method is to follow the 
plain (texts) teachings of the Gospel, which involve no 
such shocking absurdities as we have noted. This 
truth will be plainly seen if a few ambiguous texts are 
studied in the light of facts, as we have shown. 



444 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

PLEASE REMEMBER that if you give a well-in- 
formed Spiritualist the Bible, and admit that it teaches 
the pre-existence of Christ, he can logically hold the 
theoretical position of Modern Spiritualism in spite of 
all your claims. Furthermore, if he be either a me- 
chanical writing or telegraphic medium, and entertains 
you, you will soon help him hold the position, unless the 
fact and character of your actual conversion to God are 
kept in view ! 

It may now be seen that the great importance of 
taking the correct position on the u pre-existence " 
of Jesus the Christ, is our apology for the treatise, of 
which this is the closing remark. 

CONCERNING "ETERNAL TORMENT," 

as taught by many Theologians (much less now than 
formerly), we present some facts and points. This 
God-defaming doctrine has driven many persons into 
lunacy [see Insanity], and vastly many more into In- 
fidelity, albeit, some have been restrained, measurably, 
from crime, by it, intending some time to become Chris- 
tians, and thus escape the awful penalty of sin. We 
can only notice its origin and character, and show that 
it is entirely unscriptural. 

But, on viewing and considering this great subject 
from any standpoint, and in spite of any conclusions, 
which we might arrive at, one pertinent question is 
ever at hand in the mind of the seeker of theological 
truth, namely: 

Why did not God make man of such a character and 
nature that he could not become sinful by disobedience 
in any way at any time? 

We have been asked this question many times. 
The question is a moral one ; but we think that a fully 
satisfactory answer would comprehend social considera- 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 445 

tions and conditions [in the future], as well as moral, 
and of such a magnitude that mortal mental capacity 
would fail in any attempt to apprehend and explain 
them. 

However, one fact seems clear ; that is, that God saw 
fit in His wisdom, to choose, for His future company, in 
part, at least, " a great multitude " who love and obey 
Him here and now because they choose to do so — 
not because they are forced to do it. Our Heavenly 
Father dearly loves such obedience [always "better 
than sacrifice "], hence the great value ( to those who 
accept his Son as their ransom) He has set upon it ; even 

ETERNAL LIFE ! 

Now, if man was made so that he could not sin, but 
always worship God, then it would be extorted, or forced 
worship, and man would be a kind of religious auto- 
maton. We think that even new students will discover 
that they have a good and a just God, and we will re- 
turn to the topic in question. 

Learned Atheists and Infidels, and Spiritualists in 
especial manner, have fought this horrid doctrine with 
untiring zeal, and they have, evidently, done much in 
the way of encouraging, and even forcing candid inves- 
tigation by many, who, as we have already said, ever 
held it in doubt ; hence, many Theologians in different 
countries have found that it is of heathen origin, and 
that it came through Paganism and found a resting- 
place in Christian systems. These Scholars got rid of 
the terrible parasite as easily as they could, but — they 
got rid of it ! Millions of reading, thoughtful people 
have given it up, and every Christian who has done 
so, loves God unspeakably better, because he sees 
His justice and mercy in destroying the sinner, 
rather than hls infinite injustice in tormenting him 
eternally. 

We transcribe the following from a very old English 



446 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

book, entitled " The Plain Way To Heaven," which 
also shows that writer's idea of the way to hell. On 
pp. 133-4, it says : 

I will give you a short hint of the dreadful estate of the 
wicked. Consider, first, all of you that continue in your sins, 
and will not be persuaded to repent and lead a new life, how 
dreadful your estate will be at last ; for, as long as you remain 
in your unconverted estate, God and you are enemies ; you are 
slaves to the Devil. 

After other remarks, and quoting the sentence to 
" everlasting fire, prepared for the Devil and his angels," 
he continues : 

No sooner is this dreadful sentence past, but away you must 
be ; away you shall be hauled by the Devils, with the rest of 
your damned crew, down into that lake that burns with fire and 
brimstone ; where you shall be continually tormented with the 
gnawings of your guilty conscience ; where you shall be con- 
tinually scorched with the burning wrath of Almighty God. 
There your blood shall boil, your flesh shall fry ; there you 
shall be howling and screeching continually in that lake of fire. 

We have more articles that are echoes of the fore- 
going one, but we do not need them to show up the 
character of the dogma in question. The following 
articles will show some of the effects of fully believing 
it. We clipped one from the Boston Herald in 1870 ; it 
explains itself: 

The Lancaster (Pa.) Intelligencer gives a remarkable case of 
suicide as the result of religious insanity. A young man named 

J H , seventeen years old, living in East Lampeter, Pa., 

has lately been much excited upon the subject of religion. The 
Intelligencer says : 

. On Saturday morning he worked on the farm as usual, and at 
noon unhitched his team, put the horses into the stable, threw 
some hay down from the mow and told another lad to feed the 
horses. He then went to the wood-yard, took off the boot and 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 447 

stocking from the right foot, and laying it across a log, deliber- 
ately cut it off above the ankle by striking three heavy blows 
with a sharp hatchet. He then picked up the dissected foot, 
threw it away, and composedly sat down upon the log. His 
mother, who was not far off, witnessed the operation, but had 
not the remotest idea of his intention until it was too late to 
prevent it. 

His father, who was on the farm, was immediately summoned, 
and seeing his son bleeding to death, asked him why he com- 
mitted the act. In reply, he said he had done it in obedience 
to the command of the Saviour, who has said, " If thy hand or 
thy foot offend thee, cut them off and cast them from thee ; it 
is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than, 
having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire." 
Surgical aid was procured as soon as possible, chloroform was 
administered, and every effort made to save the young man's 
life, but the fearful loss of blood from the dissevered arteries 
had been such that he died shortly after the arrival of the sur- 
geons. 

While the surgeons were operating, the effect of the chloro- 
form passed off, and young H awakening, looked at the 

mangled limb without showing any signs of pain. He told 

Dr. M , before he died, that he was sorry for what he had 

done, though he thought at the time, he was doing right. Until 
the commission of the present act he has never been suspected 
of any tendency to insanity or monomania. 

. From this remarkable narrative, we gather the fol- 
lowing facts and points : 

1. The act was not the result of momentary 
impressions ; he had heard and seen things pertaining 
to religion, for days, if not weeks. 

2. He was not erratic — see the last clause — and did 
nothing by halves. 

3. He had been taught that " everlasting fire " meant 
continuous and eternal torment, which was bad theol- 
ogy, hence did not belong to good religion. 

4. It is certain that it was the conclusion in our 
Saviour's proposition, that interested him, and, believing 
it to mean everlasting misery in hell, he centred his 
attention upon it until, applying the principle to him- 



448 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

self without cause, he acted upon the predicate and 
conclusion of the proposition without duly considering 
the premise. 

5. The proof of the point just noted is seen in 
three ways : First, he found no fault with the foot, 
either physically, as not serving him, or morally, in 
misleading him : Secondly, he found no fault with any- 
thing else: Thirdly, he expressed his sorrow, unprompted 
by physical pain, for the deed, " but thought he tvas 
doing right" 

6. He did not intend suicide ; and if his prayers 
were as earnest and honest as his action, he may have 
a part in the first resurrection, despite Satan's 
desperate attempt to secure his everlasting destruction 
(not everlasting torment), by keeping him out of it. 

Conolusion : False Theology — Satan's Best Card. 

The following despatch to the Philadelphia Record, 
Feb. 27, 1893, is later, and is one of many which show 
what the dogma under notice sometimes does for the 
human mind : 

THE PICTURE TOO GRAPHIC. 

A Preacher's Word-Painting Sets a Woman Crazy. 

Fort Dodge, Iowa, Feb. 26.— Mrs. William Wilbur, of 
Roanoke, has been adjudged insane, and sent to the insane 
asylum. The immediate cause of her losing her mind was a 
graphic word picture of hell, drawn in the pulpit by her pastor. 
The preacher's description of the torments of the damned were 
so vividly impressed upon Mrs. Wilbur's mind that her reason 
was overthrown. 

Without comment, we add yet one more, a little 
later, of the same kind, and clipped from the same 
journal. 

DRIVEN MAD BY HIS SOUL. 

A Theological Student Worries Himself Into An Asylum. 
Pittsburg, Pa., March 22. — Through worrying over the condi- 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 449 

tion of his soul, W. R. Newell, a student of the Western 
Theological Seminary, Allegheny, has gone crazy. He was a 
brilliant man, 27 years of age, and of attractive appearance. 
Since January last Mr. Newell's actions have been strange. 
Almost daily he would inquire of his fellow-students what he 
could do to save his soul. At night he would wander along 
the quiet streets of Allegheny, softly praying for his soul's 
welfare, sometimes remaining on the streets throughout the 
night. He was a believer in faith cure for all ills. Mr. Newell's 
father is a Presbyterian minister at Kinsmery, 0. 

Any one of our candid readers will see that if this 
young man had been taught to embrace Divine Theol- 
ogy — God's love for the sinner in providing a way for 
his salvation, His love in forgiving his sins, when 
asked to do so, His justice in destroying him if refused 
His salvation after having a fair trial [this life], and 
His MERCY in u cutting him off," rather than continu- 
ing his existence in misery eternally, he certainly 
would have avoided his present situation. [May he 
recover and find rest and peace in believing understand- 

ingry.] 

A brief colloquy in our experience in Bradford, N. 
H., will, we think, bring light and truth to the sur- 
face. An active Christian lady, Mrs. Howlett, asked 
the writer, " What do you do with the first clause in 
the Saviour's statement in Matt. 25 : 46 ? " Answering, 
we said that we did nothing with it, but to read it, and 
simply believe it. At this answer, she, thinking that 
the text taught eternal torment, was much surprised, 
and said, " I cannot see how that can be." Repeating, 
" These shall go away into everlasting punishment," 
we said that only two thoughts were presented in the 
text, namely, the punishment of the wicked, and the 
duration of it. 

" Very true," she answered, when we asked, What is 
the punishment for sin ? Hesitating a little she said, 
candidly, "Death, I suppose." Yes, we replied, Paul 

29 



450 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

says in Rom. 6 : 23, " The wages of sin is DEATH; " 
you are right. Now, about the duration of the punish- 
ment? A joyful surprise lit up her face as she said, 
"Why! I never thought of that!" Hence we see that 
the punishment is everlasting death, as a result, and 
not everlasting dying as a process. Truly, there is no 
" Eternal Torment," neither Spiritualism, in Bible 
Theology. 

The words of our Saviour in Matt. 10 : 28, are often 
claimed and used in support of the doctrine of eternal 
torment, and natural, or inherent immortality as well. 
The text reads as follows; 

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to 
kill the soul ; but rather, fear Him which is able to destroy 
both soul and body in hell. 

Here is a book-full of theology condensed into one 
sentence of Thirty-one words ! Little wonder that it is 
not at once clear to common readers. Yet, when 
viewed in the light of the rest of the Gospel, it is little 
wonder if it is plain to such. Jesus brings to view 
murderous persecutors, and intimates their ultimate 
utter destruction. We notice a few facts and points : 

1. The first clause, by itself, would teach that His 
disciples' bodies might be killed by those persecutors, 
but that their souls might live indefinitely — say, does 
this mean immortal souls ? Nay, verily ; for Jesus con- 
tinues the remark by saying, " Fear Him [God] which 
is able to DESTROY both soul and body in hell." 

2. What, then, does " soul," mean, as used in the text ? 
The word is rendered life and lives Forty times in the 
New Testament, and if rendered life in this text, would 
assist the reader to understand, as those disciples did 
(see their writings), that though their enemies should 
destroy their lives, and their bodies also, yet, they could 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 451 

not deprive them of eternal life, through Jesus the 
Anointed, or Christ. 

3. However we choose to define " the soul," it is not 
immortal since Jesus says it can be destroyed, which 
would be impossible were it immortal, just as it is im- 
possible for God to lie. Heb. 6 : 18. Thus, Jesus 
decides against i; eternal torment," " natural immor- 
tality," and hence, Spiritualism, it being built upon the 
latter dogma. 

4. "Hell," as used by our Saviour in the text, is 
translated from Gehenna, the Greek term for " Valley 
of Hinnom " and "Tophet," in the Old Testament, and 
rendered " Hell," and Hell-fire, in the New Testament, 
meaning a place for things which are to be destroyed. 
Whatever meaning we apply to " Hell," Jesus declares 
in the text, that the soul can be destroyed in it. 

Now, lest our friend Honest Skeptic, who skeptically 
criticises everything before he accepts it, should be left 
in doubt on this question we will go to Eden and " lay 
the axe at the root of the tree," for it was planted there, 
albeit the fruit is seen and known here, and now. Let 
us continue the metaphor by saying that the seed- — 
" Ye shall not surely die" was planted by the medium, 
in the virgin soil of the heart of Eve, where it grew 
rapidly, and soon displayed its fruit — rebellion. Adam 
soon joined his wife in this departure from the rules of 
the Garden, and they found that the use of that fruit 
produced misery. 

Now the Tree, furnishing fruit that would continue 
life to them, still stood " in the midst of the Garden ; " 
and God, knowing that if they, being then in rebellion, 
or sin, were to eat of that " Tree of Life," they would be- 
come immortal sinners, at once used means to prevent 
any possibility of a case of eternal misery occurring in 
Adam's history, and hence in that of his posterity. 
" Therefore, the Lord God sent him forth from the 



452 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

Garden of Eden. . . . and He placed at the East of the 
Garden, Cherubim, and a flaming sword, which turned 
every way, to keep the way of the Tree of Life." — 
Gen. 3 : 23, 24. 

Here was a safe-guard, and what a guard ! "Cheru- 
bim " is in the plural form, and means more than one 
angel — let us say Two. In 2 Kings 19 : 35, we read : 
"And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the 
Lord went out and smote, in the camp of the Assy- 
rians, an Hundred, Four score, and five Thousand ; and 
when they arose early in the morning, behold, they 
were all dead ! " 

All will admit that if one angel could destroy 185,000 
soldiers, then Two such angels might destroy twice that 
number; thus showing that the guard which was set 
over the " Tree of Life," to keep sinful hands from 
touching it, on the one hand, and to keep the sinners 
— Adam and Eve — from becoming immortal in their 
sinfulness, by the life-giving principles of the fruit of 
that Tree, on the other hand, was more than equal to a 
force of 330,000 trained soldiers, to enforce the obe- 
dience of the man and his wife ! ! And more : as if this 
were not enough, " the Lord God . . . placed at the 
East of the Garden ... a flaming sword which 
turned every way, to keep the way of the ' Tree of 
Life ! ! ' And see ! This immense organized force, so 
disproportionate to the party in rebellion as to have no 
parallel in history, was promptly provided by God 
Himself. And what for? " LEST man put forth his 
hand, and take ALSO of the Tree of Life, and eat 
and LIVE FOREVER ! " [Become immortal'] See 
Gen. 3 : 22. 

For this incomparable make sure barrier to any 
possibility for " natural immortality " to exist, and 
hence, of "eternal torment," as a result — seeing that 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 453 

all have sinned, and that many will not repent — we 
call upon all mankind to 

" Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow." 

Now, in view of the facts and arguments presented ; 
and the fact that great numbers are quietly dropping 
into Spiritualism, preferring the doubtful extreme of 
" No accountability" to the infinite extreme of Eternal 
Torment, and that Thousands of Christian people, and 
able ministers, too, now see the fact that " immortality 
is brought to light through the Gospel," we ask : 
When will all Christian ministers in the land heartily 
join hands in favor of Immortality ONLY through 
Christ, which will make " Union " and many converts, 
and, also, make the Churches a home for a large num- 
ber of intelligent people, who will favor reason that is 
founded on justice, even though they stand alone or 
move in a lower plane of society. Pastors would thus 
not only hold their positions and congregations, but 
they would add to them thousands who now only half 
willingly accept different phases of Infidelity rather 
than a theory that teaches infinite injustice ! 



PAUL'S DESIRE TO "DEPART" 

is often quoted by Spiritualists and others to prove 
natural immortality, and hence Spiritualism. On this 
we need only to relate an incident which occurred 
more than Twenty-five years ago, in Concord, N. H. 

A friend of ours called on a Professor, an able lin- 
guist, and asked him to read Phillipians 1 : 23, in his 
Greek Testament, which he did. He then asked him 
to name the Greek word for "depart" which occurs in 
the English version as follows : " For I am in a strait 



454 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

betwixt two, having a desire to depart and be with 
Christ, which is far better." 

The Professor said that the word translated "de- 
part " was analuo. Our friend then asked him to read 
Luke 12 : 36, from the Greek, and name the word which 
is translated " return" in the first clause of the text, 
which in the English version is as follows : "And ye 
yourselves, like unto men that wait for their lord when 
he will return from the wedding." The Professor said 
that the word was analuo, and remarked that he had 
never noticed that analuo stood for both words. 

It was now plain that had it been rendered return in 
both texts, the thought of the Greek text would have 
been apparent to common readers, who would under- 
stand Paul to say that " he had a desire for Christ's re- 
turn, that he might be with Him, which would be far 
better." Better than what? Why, better than the 
bitter persecutions which he endured for preaching the 
Gospel. Verily, there is no Spiritualism in this text 
when it is fairly considered. 

The Gospel is so concise in its style of diction that a 
few texts lack clearness in their expression, in English, 
and some seem at first contradictory to many minds. 
Yet simple, honest and earnest readers do not array 
doubtful or subordinate texts against a line of direct 
and plain texts, hence they have little trouble with 
them. But many Spiritualists and sectarian zealots do 
this, which fact has moved us to explain them, briefly, 
hoping that such persons may read and receive light on 
these very important questions. 

In conclusion, we remark that when the System we 
oppose shall call up any spirits that are Truthful 
enough, and Good enough, and Powerful enough, to 
Convert one miserable wretch from the error of his 
ways, in this life, to such a love of Goodness and good 
people as to prove a reform that will conform to rules 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 455 

which are known to make a social and moral success 
in life, and no failure at death — then, we say, will it 
be soon enough for Modern Spiritualism to exalt itself 
above all Systems of Religion ! 

But, if with Forty-five years of effort by Millions of 
friends and able workers it has not shown one such case 
of radical reform, under its colossal moral claims, 
while statistics prove that crime has increased faster 
than the population, despite many good and useful 
things it has proclaimed, we must conclude that it has 
proved worse than a failure. 

In taking leave of our patient waiters and careful 
readers, we make our Good-bye bow to our imaginary 
friends, Candid Reader, Honest Skeptic, and Radical 
Ohostman, who have served us to good purpose; and 
if they are better for having been in our company so 
long, we shall be pleased while they are made glad. 

We shall now attempt to entertain — well, we don't 
know who — with some desultory reading; and if all 
our friends pass it by without reading, we shall still 
believe that many of them, at least, are wiser than 
the author. 

SOME SAYINGS 
Which we have not seen or heard elsewhere. 

1. 

Spiritualism, proper, has but one fact in common with 
Christianity, proper, viz.: Psychological Impressions; then, 
character, based on the highest known standard of Ethics, must 
ever decide all moral questions : or, in other words, between 
Truth and Error. 

2. 



Social intercourse among " negatives " is enjoyable, but 
when Two " positives " meet there is conflict. 



456 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

3. 



" Spirit Messages " are not reliable, touching the future, be- 
cause of more or less ignorance of it ; and not reliable concern- 
ing the past, for lack of truthfulness. 

4. 



Man is a soul or creature — see Gen. 1 : 20, and marginal 
reading — and has soul in the sense of life, for the same original 
word is translated life One Hundred and sixty times in the 
Bible ; but we cannot say that man has a soul, as that would 
necessarily imply another person, or entity, which idea presents 
at once either an absurdity or a monstrosity ! 

5. 



Spiritualism stands as a " Spiritual Philosophy," and would 
be a science, but never can, because the laws of science are arbi- 
trary, being fixed. If such laws were applied to Spiritual Phe- 
nomena .they would show — not reliability, but the " cloven- 
foot!" 

6. 



III manners are always inexcusable, and quite intolerable; 
but when joined with ingratitude, who can bear them ? 



Would a child take nourishment from its mother's breast 
and then abuse the source of supply before it had teeth where- 
with to eat other food, and thus live without its milk ? Spirit- 
ualism does just that when it denies the Bible ! 

8. 



Spiritualism, as a creature, was born of False Theology. 
Who, then, was its paternal parent? 

9. 



The Serpent, in Eden, was mouth-piece in speech, proxy in 
person, and medium in fact for Satan. 

10. 



Pride is that degree of satisfaction with ourselves and our 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 457 

circumstances which inflates self-esteem, encourages tyranny, 
and CRUSHES CHARITY. [The words, pride, proud, and 
proudly occur 89 times in Scripture, and always with rebuke.] 

11. 



Accepted ideas of disembodied spirits are demon "dum- 
mies " — conceived on purpose to deceive. 

12. 



The Fear of Death. We may lose the fear of death by 
accepting certain principles, and find that the same principles 
may lead us to seek death; and which, when found, in many 
cases, are labelled u Temporary Insanity." Again, we may lose 
the fear of death, while the same principles which caused us to 
lose it will surely deter us from seeking it ; hence, such will 
not destroy themselves. 

13. 

If Satan (for obvious reasons.) is especially pleased with 
skeptics who deny his existence, he must be overjoyed when he 
sees eye-servant Christians act as though God had gone on a jour- 
ney and did not know what was going on at home ! 

14. 



A musician played " Sweet Home " with Twenty-one varia- 
tions — learned men have added a greater number to Satan's Old 
Saw — " Ye shall not (surely) die ! " 

15. 



The man whom poverty does not disgrace, (place in disfavor), 
is none other than the unknown hermit. [" Give me neither 
poverty nor riches."] 

16. 



The first medium, or subject under " control," in history, was 
a most cunning beast — a male serpent ! 

17. 



Unbelief, taken as a fact, proves ignorance; taken as a 
theory, proves nothing ; taken as a result, it may prove one or 



458 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

more of the many conditions between dire calamity as a curse, 
and the highest enjoyment as a blessing. 

18. 



"Automatism is not Spiritualism." — W. J. Colville, in the 
Banner of Light, Feb. 19, 1887. True ; but, Spiritualism (its 
manifestations) is Automatism. 

19. 



Woman's Power. The immense moral force which may be 
developed in woman's tolerance or intolerance, can only be told 
when it makes a " clean sweep " in favor or disfavor of the 
question at issue. 

^20. 

" Swearing off for a year " points to a time of freedom from 
restraint — like a time lock on a safe. Yet, unlike the time lock, 
a reaction may be the result of restraint in the case of the man, 
and disaster follow. Moral: — "swear off'sme die! — without 
date. 

21. 

Christian Prayer is an invocation, or expressed desire, made 
and offered by accepting conditions made by Deity ; while an 
earnest invocation may be made without accepting such condi- 
tions, which is, in a figure of speech, an eloquent demand for 
the " cake," while the " penny " is withheld ! — Result, a failure. 

22. 



If Spiritualists, and other Bible opposers and haters, should 
name Chapter and verse, whenever they quote Bible teachings 
in their best efforts to say and write good things, they would 
spike all of their own guns! 

23. 



Manners. It excites both pity and disgust to meet with 
religious clowns, and other pompous positives, who fail to 
receive many advantages because of their lack of good manners 
enough to do common business ! A certain editor said of such 
an one — a preacher too — that " he was made on a last that made 
no provision for corns and bunions ! " Hence, his constant 
discomfort! 



Y 

SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 459 
24. 



If Spiritualism were true in its manifestations only, 
millions would hasten to embrace it for selfish purposes, if no 
other. On account of its ready way of gaining information 
from all sources, and upon all topics, if reliable, it would be 
invaluable. 

25. 

Independence. The most independent man on earth, who 
is happy, is the skilled and faithful mechanic or laborer who is 
the head of a Christian family, living in his own cottage, owes 
not a dollar, and handles so little money that no one can afford 
to murder him for it! 

26. 

Spiritualism claims many Bible men as mediums. Be it so ; 
it does them little good, for not one of them believed in, spoke 
for, or had anything to do with any spirits or other beings who 
pretended to be alive when their bodies were dead. 

27. 



Satan tempted Christ to make stones into bread — was it to 
furnish the wicked a living without work, and thus cancel the 
curse made for sin in Eden ? 



It is inconsistent for any preacher to profess to address the 
disembodied spirits of saints or sinners in prayer or praise, and 
not allow them to talk back by refusing to make conditions 
favorable, and, after all, to declaim strongly against Spiritualism. 

29. 



Sound Logic is the eldest child of Facts and Common Sense. 

30. 



Individuality, as taught by Modern Spiritualism, tends to 
social disintegration, and, hence, to anarchy. 

31. 



The first Spiritualist discourse was delivered by a medium 
in a more beautiful place than man can design, and it was 
indited by an abler personage ! — See this work. 



460 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

32. 



True Love. The more Two friends love God (a third party), 
the greater will be the attachment between the Two friends. 
This was in the " Plan," and is in the "Word ; " and we find it 
in the " Spirit," and are glad. 

33. 



Moral Courage. If the devil calls at the door for me, do 
not tell him that I am " out," but say, " He is here ! " 

34. 



A Consequent. The intelligent man who can manage to be 
social without quoting Bible teachings, cannot manage to keep 
out of Prison. 

— 35. 



Natural Science is knowledge by methods which are seen. 
Psychological science is knowledge by methods which are 
unseen. 

36. 



Atonement. Angels could gain immortality by obedience 
ivithout dying ; but Christ must gain it by obedience and dying. 
He, being a sacrifice, must, also, be a whole, & perfect sacrifice ; 
hence, a complete ransom for the sinner, if he chooses to 
accept it. 

37. 

Reflection. A mirror will not make us to see ourselves as 
others see us ! 

38. 

We can commune with the God of Heaven at any time; not 
so with " spirits," or demons ; they demand peculiar " condi- 
tions." 

39. 

Christian Character. Some shoes in the windows look as 
if they were run in moulds, instead of having been gradually 
formed by the cunning art of a good workman ; so it is with 
principle-drilled Christians : those who are in the habit of be- 
ing good, and — enjoy it ! 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 461 
40. 



Finite and Infinite. When straining our powers of appre- 
hension and comprehension in running back on a line of ex- 
treme thought until it reaches a mere point of indefiniteness, 
we are glad of relief by conceding it to meet the Infinite Mind, 
where it must stop — and cheerfully acknowledge it Almighty 
and Eternal ! 



[The following interesting poem is so old that it is 
quite new to the present generation. The author com- 
mitted it to memory when a lad, and the book contain- 
ing it was lost. After searching at times for many 
years, he found one at Leary's great Store in Philadel- 
phia. Thinking it to be in keeping with the book, and 
knowing that many wish to see it in print, we gladly 
append it to our work. — Author.] 

THE THREE WARNINGS. 

BY MRS. THRALE. 

The tree of deepest root is found 
Least willing still to quit the ground ; 
'Twas therefore said by ancient sages 

That love of life increased with years 
So much, that in our latter stages, 
When pains grow sharp and sickness rages, 

The greatest love of life appears. 

This great affection to believe, 
Which all confess, but few perceive, 
If old assertions can't prevail, 
Be pleased to hear a modern tale : 

When sports went round, and all were gay 
On neighbor Dobson's wedding day, 
Death called aside the jocund groom 
With him into another room ; 
And, looking grave, " You must," says he, 
" Quit your sweet bride and come with me." 



462 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

" With you ! and quit my Susan's side ! 
With you ! " the hapless husband cried ; 
" Young as I am ? 'tis monstrous hard ! 
Besides, in truth, I'm not prepared ; 
My thoughts on other matters go, 
This is my wedding night, you know." 

What more he urged I have not heard : 
His reasons could not well be stronger ; 

So Death the poor delinquent spared, 
And left to live a little longer. 

Yet, calling up a serious look — 

His hour-glass trembled while he spoke — 

" Neighbor," he said, " farewell ! no more 

Shall Death disturb your mirthful hour ; 

And further, to avoid all blame 

Of cruelty upon my name — 

To give you time for preparation, 

And fit you for your future station, 

Three several warnings you shall have, 

Before you're summoned to the grave. 

Willing, for once I'll quit my prey 

And grant a kind reprieve, 
In hope you'll have no more to say, 
But, when I call again this way, 

Well pleased, the world will leave." 
To these conditions both consented, 
And parted, perfectly contented. 

What next the hero of our tale befell, 
How long he lived, how wisely ; and how well 
It pleased him in his prosperous course, 
To chat with friends, and pat his horse, 

The willing muse shall tell: — 
He chaffered then, he bought, he sold, 
Nor once perceived his growing old, 

Nor thought of Death, as near : 
His friends not false, his wife no shrew, 
Many his gains, his children few, 

He passed his hours in peace. 

But, while he viewed his wealth increase — 
While thus along life's dusty road 
The beaten track content he trod — 



SPIRIT TEACHINGS AND CROOKED THEOLOGY. 463 

Old Time, whose haste no mortal spares, 
Uncalled, unheeded, unawares 
Brought on his Eightieth year ! 

And now, one night, in musing mood, 
As all alone he sat, 
The unwelcome messenger of fate 

Once more before him stood. 
Half killed with anger and surprise, 
" So soon returned ! " old Dobson cries : 
"So soon, d'ye call it ? " Death replies : 
"Surely, my friend, you're but in jest; 

Since I was here before 
'Tis Six-and-thirty years at least, 

And you are now Four-score ! " 

" So much the worse," the clown rejoined ; 

" To spare the aged would be kind : 

Besides, you promised me Ihree warnings, 

Which I have looked for nights and mornings." 

" I know," cries Death, " that, at the best, 

I seldom am a welcome guest ; 

But don't be captious, friend, at least : 

I little thought you'd still be able 

To stump about your farm and stable : 

Your years have run to a great length ; 

I wish you joy, though, of your strength." 

" Hold ! " says the farmer, " not so fast : 
I have been lame these four years past." 
"And no great wonder," Death replies ; 
" However, you still keep your eyes ; 
And sure, to see one's loves and friends, 
For legs and arms would make amends." 
" Perhaps," says Dobson, " so it might, 
But latterly I've lost my sight." 
" This is a shocking story, faith ; 
Yet there's some comfort, still," says Death : 
" Each strives your sadness to amuse ; 
I warrant you hear all the news." 

" There's none," cries he, " and if there were, 
I'm grown so deaf I could not hear." 



464 SPIRITUALISM EXAMINED AND REFUTED. 

" Nay, then," the spectre stern rejoined, 
" These are unreasonable yearnings : 
If you are lame, and deaf, and blind, 

You've had your Three sufficient warnings 
So come along ; no more we'll part," 
He said, and touched him with his dart : 
And now old Dobson, turning pale, 
Yields to his fate — so ends my tale. 

— And the book as well ! — Author. 



INDEX. 

What is a Spiritualist ? — See page 190. 
Page 

9 — Opening Remarks. 

13 — Whether Spiritualism be a Humbug — First Topic. 
14 — Candid Reader, Honest Skeptic and Radical Ghostman chosen* 
14 — View and review of Philadelphia North American. 
16— The " Katie King" Fraud. 
18 — Robert Dale Owen deceived by it. 
21 — "All Mediums are frauds." — Camden Post. 
22 — Inconsistency in Phenomena. 
25 — Debate — Dr. Coovert vs. Mrs. Glading. 
27 — Conjurers on Psychic Phenomena — Houdin, Hermann. 
32 — Psychology — of dog — and child. 

33 — Harry Keilar does not account for Eglinton's rnediumship* 
35 — Bellachani does not account for Slade's Mediumship. 
36 — Dr. Morran's Circular and lecture. 
38— Author's Mediumship— 257, 265, 268. 
41— Whether Spiritualism be a Religion — Second Topic. 
42 — Titles claimed for Spiritualism. 
43 — Talmage on Spiritualism. 

44 — A writer defines Spiritualism in the Banner of Light. 
46— H. C. Wright's letter to Cape Cod Campmeeting. 
49 — Mediumship the only source of information. 
50 — Spiritualist Resolutions in favor of " Reason." 
51 — Author's review of the same. 
52 — " Eternal Principles " — u Man is Immortal." 
53 — Two persons, Male and female, required for a whole man. 
54 — Cannot add Sheep and dollars together — illustration. 
54 — Satan's Old Saw — Ye shall not surely die. 
55 — Logical proof that man is mortal, outside the Bible. 
57 — List of 42 spirits in the Bible — none called immortal! 
58 — Free Religion — is No Religion — note it. 
59 — True Religion is not free ; neither is Salvation. 
59 — Salvation in allegory. 

62 — Free Thought spans all unbelief — result Destruction. 
62 — Resolutions against the Bible in the Constitution ! 
62 — Illustration — Prof. Fairfield in Rome. 

30 (465) 



466 INDEX. 

64 — Prayers in Congress. 

66 — "Spirit" prayers, as claimed — sinner's prayers. 

68 — Solomon's prayer in the Temple — Lord's prayer — 72. 

74 — Resurrection allegory. 

76 — Prof. Chaney's prayer to the Devil ! 

78 — Blasphemous slur on the Jewish Jehovah. 

80 — A better God than we have supposed. 

80 — Resolutions against the Bible in Schools. 

81 — The infidel Schoolmaster — illustration. 

87 — A compendium of Gospel Rules for Aged men, Aged 
women, Young men, Servants, Masters, Husbands, Wives, 
Children, Fathers, Bishops, Ministers, Pastors, Elders and 
Teachers— 89. 

92— The French Revolution— No God and No Bible— 95. 

93— The Bible reinstated. 

97 — A denial of the Bible, God, Christ, in Lynn Discussion. 

97 — Denial in a lecture in Milford, N. H. — William White. 

99 — Unanswerable argument for the Bible. — W. B. Herron. 
100 — Spiritualism a denial of all Religion — illustration. 
104 — Painted points against Spiritualism — 106. 
106 — A poem — Religion ! What is it? 
108 — Spiritualism's Claims and Promises — Third Topic. 
109 — A blasphemous slur in a National Convention Resolution. 
110 — Thirteen Resolutions in a Woman Suffrage Convention. 
Ill — The immense claims of Spiritualism for Woman reviewed. 
122 — A Mother's Influence. — Thomas H. Benton. 
123 — Woman's Work. — Forest Greenfield. — [Do read.] 
128 — Woman's Work. — Indianapolis News. 
128 — Woman's Work. — Circular. 
129 — Woman's Work. — New Orleans States. 
130 — A man is apt to become what his wife makes him. 
131— Beware of the Third Party in the family— 137, 144. 
132— Woman's Influence— 135, 136. 
134— Gen. Butler's tact. 

137 — First family in history — Adam and his wife, Eve — 142. 
140 — First Seance in history — in Eden— beautiful medium. 
142 — Adam gives his life for his bride. 
143 — First Riot Act in history. 

150 — The perils of our daughters in these days. — Jealousy. 
152 — Woman's chances in life, Forty-five years ago, and now. 
153 — Woman Suffrage in All Lands — Mrs. E. Lynn Linton. 
158— Sweeping Claims of Spiritualism— 159, 177, 189, 198, 384. 
198 — Spiritualism came to Reform the World and Death. 
161 — Spiritualism came to Reform the World disproved — 200. 
161 — Crime increases faster than population— Terrible Statistics. 



INDEX. 467 

164— Drink Statistics— 165, 179. 

166— Crime Statistics— 180. 

180— Divorce Statistics— 188. 

194 — Man's two great wishes. 

202 — Introduction to Phenomena — Fourth Topic. 

204— A Skeptic asks, Who made God? 

207— Man, He is mortal— 55, 57, 213, 214. 

209 — Immortality Conditional — 215. 

209 — Man — Why made so he could sin ? — Strange Catechism. 

210 — Breath of life — meaning of it. 

211 — Mortality and Immortality — Prof. Grimes. 

213 — Soul, Spirit, etc., occur 1600 times in Bible — not immortal. 

214 — Theological Dilemma — illustration in Tipperary. 

215 — Angels — What are they ? — Claims of Spiritualism — 219. 

220— Angels— What are they ?— Bible account— 239. 

232— Fallen Angels or demons— 239. 

236— Devil, or Satan— 239. 

241 — Spiritual Phenomena — Fifth Topic. 

242 — Magnetism — Physical and Psychological — 251. 

249 — 22 phases of Mediumship noticed. 

251 — Spirits say controls can make a medium kill himself. 

251 — Rapping Mediumship. 

252 — Origin of Modern Spiritualism — Rochester Rappings. 

258 — Philosophy of Rapping Mediumship — 262. 

263 — Tipping Mediumship. 

269— Unreliability of Spirit messages— 271, 275, 343. 

271 — Writing Mediumship. 

273 — A Remarkable and very funny seance. 

277 — Inspirational- Writing Meddumship. 

279— Trance- Writing " 

280— Slate- Writing 

282— Independent Writing " 

284 — Writing In The Air Mediumship. [See Impressional.'] 

284 — Materialization " 

288 — Impressional " 

289— Prem on i ti ons— 295. 

298 — Inspirational Speaking Mediumship. 

299 — Explanations of mediumship by a spirit, as claimed. 

301 — Trance Mediumship. 

304 — Clairvoyance Mediumship. 

312 — Clairaudient " 

313— Healing 

315 — Musical and Singing Mediumship. 

317 — Talking Spirits. 

320— Walking 



468 INDEX. 

321 — Haunting Mediumship. 

326— Fire 

329 — Flower Mediumship — wonderful (?) — 330. 

332 — Telepathy, or Direct Mechanical Writing Mediumship. 

337 — Telegraphic Mediumship — Mr. Rowley. 

339 — Into the Unseen. 

342 — Rowley's Occult Telegraph. — A Physician surprised. 

344 — Destroying Mediumship. 

347 — Suicide — 3 classes — intensely interesting facts — 378. 

363 — Sixteen reasons and excuses given for suicide. 

373 — No-accountability doctrine. 

375— Statistics to 1893— Suicide Club— 377. 

378 — Insanity. 

381 — Crazed by bad Theology. 

382 — True Theology makes none crazy, but saves many. 

386 — Temporary Insanity. 

390 — Insanity and Suicide — from a lecture by Mrs. Ada Foye. 

394 — Spirit Teachings and Crooked Theology — Sixth Topic. 

395 — Declaration of Principles taught by Spiritualism. 

398 — Sayings of spirits and lecturers, concerning God — 403. 

403 — Concerning Jesus the Christ. 

405 — Concerning God, as a Spirit — 410. 

410 — The Thief on the Cross — 414. 

415 — The Rich Man and Lazarus — 418. 

415 — Immortality of Animals — 420. 

420 — The Pre-existence of Spirits. 

421— The New Birth— 425. 

426 — Christ Entering the Disciples' Room. 

427 — The Transfiguration of Christ. 

429 — I Am Thy Fellow-Servant — 431. 

432 — Preaching to the Spirits in Prison. 

434— The Pre-existence of Christ. 

444 — Eternal Torment. 

453 — Paul's Desire to Depart. 

455 — Some Sayings. 

461 — The Three Warnings — an old Poem. 



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